Legend of Zelda: Old World's Requiem
by leb22
Summary: Zelda/Fire Emblem. Link comes back to Hyrule after seven years of travel, thinking he'll finally get the chance for some peace and quiet. However, an old enemy, aided by a power greater than any they've ever faced quickly gets in the way of that dream.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own legend of Zelda or fire emblem, only the original characters and storyline are mine

Chapter One

He closed his eyes, tilting his head back and taking in the beautiful aroma of the forest. It had been nearly seven years since he last walked this path. He still remembered the music that used to play. He led his horse to a small pond where she greedily quenched her thirst. He cupped his hands in the pool and did likewise.

"This water comes strait from Lake Hylia. It doesn't get any better than that, girl." He lay beside his horse and gently stroked her mane. "We're finally home, Epona… never realized how much I missed it."

Epona nudged his cheek; neighing softly and stood up. Link gave an exasperated sigh and stood up. "I know you're excited to get back, and I promise once we get out of Kokiri village first thing I'll do is drop you off so show a little patience." Epona walked behind link and started pushing him forward with her head. "Alright, fine!" Link said, laughing. He climbed onto Epona and they made their way out of the forest.

They emerged from the forest and strolled down the short winding trail to the village. Link hopped off Epona, leaving her instructions not to go wandering around and disturbing the undersized residents. Epona gave him a short whinny and lay down in the warm sun.

Link looked around and saw quite a large gathering of what seemed to be children in the distance; seemingly transfixed with something going on in the middle of their circle. He made his way over and quickly discovered what they thought was so interesting.

In the middle of the circle were two Kokiri boys; one of which Link didn't recognize, but the other he new to be the bully Mido. They were slowly circling each other; both ready for the other to pounce.

"Mido, I swear, I was not trying to move in and take you're spot as Saria's 'favorite'," the one boy yelled in a defensive tone, not without a hint of sarcasm however.

"I'm 'bout sick an' tired o' you getting between the two of us. I've had enough of your lies, Kilty!" Mido responded and then lunged at the other boy, but was stopped in mid-air. Link pulled Mido out of the circle and held him up to eye level by the back of his shirt.

"Been a long time, Mido. Comforting to know some things never change." Link said with a smile hinting at the corner of his mouth.

"Who the heck do you thi…" Mido didn't get to finish. He was quickly cut off by a commanding female voice.

"PUT HIM DOWN RIGHT NOW!" Link loosened his grip on Mido and let him wrestle himself free. He turned around with an innocent grin on his face; scratching his head.

"I think that might be the first time I've ever heard you yell at me." he said, while giving the girl a lopsided grin.

Saria just stood there smirking with her arms folded; her fairy standing on her shoulder in a similar fashion. "You sure know how to make a return. I haven't seen or heard anything but the occasional rumor of you; and here you are. You just stroll in and act like you never left. I bet the rest of your old friends here don't even recognize you; o great Hero of Time." Saria said, making it a point to emphasize the last bit.

A girl with hair the same color as Link's walked up to him and started circling him; looking him up and down. "You dress like us, and you do look VERY familiar, but I can't think of where we would have ever met. I've never left the forest. I've never even met a big person for that matter." She continued circling him while others joined her; trying to place it. Mido was looking at Saria when it hit him. _She's got that look on her face. The one she always used to get when she was around…_ "LINK!" he suddenly blurted out.

The child-sized people turned to Mido with shock on their faces then turned and gawked at Link. Suddenly, as realization set in, and they began accepting the idea, Link was bombarded with a million questions at once. His salvation came when Saria shoved her way through the group, grabbed Link's hand and lead him to her house. The others started to follow, but she froze them in their place with a glare that left nothing to the imagination.

Link walked in and sat on the floor, seeing as how none of the furniture was built for people of his size. Saria sat in a chair right across from him and stared at him. They held each other's gaze for what seemed like eternity. Saria was the one to break the silence, lunging forward to give Link a huge hug.

"You have NO idea how much I've missed you! You didn't even play our song and just talk!" she said, giving Link a very accusing glare.

"Well you didn't either!" Link responded defensively.

"It only works one way you big idiot!" Saria could only hold her glare for a second more before she broke and gave Link another suffocating hug.

Link tried valiantly to pry the pint-sized girl off his neck. "Saria… I can't… breath." Saria quickly jumped off. "That's what you get for leavin us all."

"Yeah, sorry about that. So tell me; what's it like being the new forest sage? I haven't really gotten to talk to you since you awakened."

"It's… awkward." Saria said, a little hesitantly. "Even after seven years I'm still learning the ins and outs of being one of the sacred ones. Although it does have its perks, as you saw out there. Everyone listens to me and I'm rarely questioned. And, I get to spend a lot of time with mister Darunia. He's a very exciting person. Did you know he absolutely LOVES our song?!"

"Yeah, I played it for him once. He got very excited." Link said with a small chuckle at the end.

"He is easily excited. So, Hero of Time, tell me about what kind of adventures you've been on in the past seven years."

"Well, it'll take to long for me to go into detail, so I'll just give you the summed-up version." Link told Saria about his time spent in Termina; his trip over the great sea, finishing his story with a recount of the final battle that he participated in to restore the rightful heir of a land known as Crimea back to her throne. When he was done, Saria just shook her head and smiled.

"Never could stay still for one moment could you. However; what still gets me is that someone who sleeps as much as you could stay so active."

Link laughed then stood up and gave Saria a giant bear hug. "HEY! Let go of me you big lug; I'm still just a little kid remember. You're going to crush me!"

"Oops, sorry" Link said and set Saria down. "Well; I'm going to have to head out. I still have a lot of people to see; and I promised Epona that we would visit Malon."

"That's fine, Link. Just don't let it be another seven years before you come back to visit." Saria said, fixing him with a fierce glare.

"Wouldn't dream of it. Besides, I don't think I can afford to anger the great Sage of the Forest Temple." Link said, giving an overly-elegant bow.

"Get out of here you dolt. And tell Malon when you see her that Saria sends her regards."

"Will do." With a wink, he mounted Epona and shot off out of the forest.

As soon as Link and Epona crossed the bridge leading out of the forest; Link was knocked off his ride by a shining blue light. It took him a few seconds to re-orient himself; and as soon as he did, he realized that it had been a fairy that knocked him off his horse.

"So, I'm told that you've been gallivanting around with that tramp of a fairy, Tatl!" the little fairy said to Link in an injured tone before tackling him again.

"Navi?" Link said with a puzzled look on his face.

"Forgot about me already? Figures. I always did have to keep you strait. O well, its good to see you again hero. Speaking of which; I guess we'll be traveling together again" Navi said.

"Traveling again? I thought the Deku Tree had other plans for you; and me not being a true Kokiri, I just figured you wouldn't be allowed to travel with me anymore."

"Well, when the Deku Tree heard about you're return to Hyrule; he told me that I was no longer needed in the forest, so if I wanted he'd allow me to travel with you again. So I'll be joinin you from here on out; whether you like it or not," Navi said with an evil looking smile.

Link gave a large sigh before responding. "I suppose I'd be able to live with that. As long as you aren't as bossy as you were last time."

"Not a chance!" Navi said and flew into Link's hat before he could do anything

"I see you didn't get a new hat. Still has my cubby space in here too; good. Alright, Link, off we go on what I hope to be another exciting adventure. Just don't get us into too much trouble this time. You have a bad habit of attracting it."

"Me? Never," Link said and then climbed on top of Epona and took off towards Lon Lon Ranch.

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Thanks for reading, R&R please. i hope you enjoy what's to come.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own legend of Zelda or fire emblem, only the original characters and storyline are mine

Chapter Two

Navi talked the full days ride to Lon Lon Ranch; not even stopping for a breath it seemed to Link. As night fell; they came within view of Lon Lon Ranch and Link silenced her. He brought Epona to a stop

"Do you feel that?" Link asked Navi, who was now standing on his shoulder.

"Yeah… it feels empty. Like the Ranch was deserted; eerie. I don't even sense any animals in there. I'm gonna fly up and see if I can tell what's going on in the ranch; then I'll come back and report. Don't move from this spot, I know how you like chargin' in swords flashin'" Navi said with an accusing look. The small fairy become a glowing ball of blue and then took off.

Link got off of his horse and tried to concentrate on his foreboding feeling. He tapped into the Triforce of Courage; but didn't get anything. "What I wouldn't give for one of Zelda's premonitions right now," Link mumbled under his breath.

However; he didn't have long to wait. The small glowing fairy came hurtling back at him and landed on his shoulder. "The feeling gets worse the closer you get; but I didn't see anybody in there. Not even a stray or forgotten animal. However; there are no signs of a struggle or anything of the sort. I don't like it, Link."

"I don't either; but we have to find out what happened. Malon and Talon could be in trouble."

"I notice you didn't say Mr. Ingo." Navi said with a slight smirk on her face.

Link snorted. "Yeah, him too." He gave Epona a light tap to the ribs and she shot off towards the ranch. When they reached the front gate; Link got down and tied Epona to the outside tree. "Sorry girl, I know you're worried too, but no sense in risking you getting injured until we know its safe in there."

Link and Navi investigated the ranch; but when they didn't find anything started checking the buildings. When they got to the house; Link was afraid of what he'd find inside. He reached for the handle but was stopped by something sharp poking the back of his neck.

"Make a move without my permission and I won't hesitate to relieve your shoulders of their burden," she said, putting a little more pressure on her blade.

"Easy; I'm a friend," _I hope_, Link thought. "I was just looking for the owners of the ranch. Do you know anything about what happened to them?"

"Who are you and why do you want to know?" the still mysterious girl asked.

"My name is Link and I…"

"FAIRY BOY?" the girl exclaimed. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

"Ummm, I didn't know it would help," Link said, turning around. In front of him was a girl dressed in a black form-fitting shirt and pants, much like Zelda's when she was Shiek. She had long black boots, elbow length black gloves and a black vest on her front with a hood. She had a piece of cloth covering her mouth.

It took Link a second to recognize the girl until he noticed a lock of fiery red hair poking out from under her hood. "Malon?" Link asked.

"That's right!" she replied, reverting to the very chipper farm girl Link remembered. "What are you doing here, Link? I thought you were never coming back. Heck; we all did."

"It's a long story, really. What happened here?" He asked.

"That's also a long story," Malon said, removing her hood and her face mask so that Link could get a good look at her for the first time. She had grown up to be a stunningly beautiful girl; with her thick red hair and bright blue eyes. _AND an excellent body… _Link quickly shook this thought out of his head.

"Long story short for the moment; the ranch was overrun by Poes and Stalchildren. When Lady Zelda heard about what was happening, she arranged for all the animals to be kept in a field to the north of the castle. Then she brought me and dad in. We've been living like royalty! Can you believe it?" she asked, more than a little ecstatically.

"That's great Malon," Link said with a chuckle, "but I'm still curious about your attire, and why you are here in the first place."

"Well; like I said, instead of cleaning out the ranch, Zelda had us evacuate. So I've been talking to Impa with Zelda's permission of course, and she agreed to train me. I've been coming back almost every week and getting rid of as many as I can; but they keep coming back. I came here tonight to try and figure out the source. I thought I'd caught the villain red-handed but then you turned around. I still can't believe you're here. It's almost creepier than seeing a Poe."

"In the flesh. Come on; let's look around and see if we can't find the source of the problem together."

After searching for what seemed like hours for the source of the sudden stalchild appearances; Link and Malon walked out of the ranch slightly discouraged.

"Not even a clue; just more stalchildren. I wonder why they're everywhere all of the sudden." Malon pondered, more to herself than anyone in particular.

"I'm not sure; but I think we should get out of Hyrule field. Come on; someone's been aching to see you." Link said and walked through the entrance.

"EPONA!" Malon yelled and ran up to the horse; giving her a massive hug around the neck. The horse neighed softly and started rubbing its head against Malon's cheek.

"I see Link's been taking good care of you. I couldn't have picked a better person to take you." Malon flashed Link a thankful smile.

"Come on; let's get back to the castle" Link said; climbing onto Epona and extending his hand to Malon. Malon took it and hopped on top of the horse with practiced ease.

Epona sped off towards Hyrule castle, making the trip in record time. They arrived at the drawbridge and Link pulled back on the reins.

"Umm; forgot about that." Link said, looking a little embarrassed. "So how do we get in?"

"Not a problem. There's a secret door built in on the west side. Head over that way and I'll get us in." Malon said.

Link took Epona to the west side of the castle's outer wall and hopped down; followed by Malon. She walked up to the wall and started feeling the stones. "Ok, its here somewhere… AH! There we go." Malon said with a satisfied smile.

She placed her hand on the stone and recited a Sheikhan mantra. No sooner had she finished talking than the stones began to dissolve right in front of them; making a small archway. Link followed Malon through the door into an alleyway. After everyone was through, the stones reappeared; as solid as the rest of the wall.

Malon took off down the alley way; leading Link through a series of twists and turns before coming to the town square. They made their way up to the castle's inner gate and were confronted by two guards.

"Halt! Where do the two of you think you're going?"

"To the castle; where else?" Malon asked. She pulled a necklace out of her shirt with a golden Triforce on it. The guards both saluted smartly and opened the gate for the two of them. Link and Malon made their way up to the castle gate where Malon flashed her Triforce necklace to the guards again; with the same effect.

"When did you gain this kind of authority?" Link asked; more than a little confused.

"O, yeah, that. Zelda gave me this necklace when I started training under Impa. I've found it to come in quite handy." Malon said with a mischievous smile on her face. "We should probably find you some sleeping quarters. The princess and everyone else will already be asleep; so no late-night rendezvous for the two of you" Malon said with a wink.

Link gave Malon a confused look which made her laugh. "Never mind; fairy boy, you'll understand someday…" Malon said and then led Link to his sleeping quarters.

Link took off his tunic and under-tunic and flopped down on the bed; falling fast asleep, his dreams making their way back to what Malon had said.

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Thanks again, R&R please


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the legend of Zelda or Fire Emblem, nor any of the characters from the game. Only the original characters and storyline are mine

Chapter Three

Link woke just before dawn; not used to sleeping in a soft bed. In his travels; he mostly slept outside, making use of what little he had. He put on his Zora tunic and donned his silver gauntlets. His sword was replaced in his travels when he outgrew the one he acquired in Termina. The one he wielded now (which had been named Veritas) had a slightly wider blade than his previous weapons; however he had no problems wielding it due to his increased strength. It had a smaller hand guard than what he was used to and an emerald pommel stone at the hilt, the rest of the handle being black.

Strapping his Hylian shield to his shoulders, Link went for a stroll around the castle; trying to avoid the guards seeing as how he wasn't sure whether or not they knew he was allowed to be here. After what seemed like an hour of walking around aimlessly Link strolled into a very familiar place.

He looked around, examining the small inner courtyard. Nothing had really changed since last he had been there. The small patch of yellow flowers that were growing so many years ago were still there; and the sky still seemed to look all the more beautiful from this spot. Link walked over to the patch of flowers and lay in the middle of it; enjoying the feel of the morning sun.

Link's mind began to wander to thoughts of Zelda; and how she would react when she saw him. _Will she be excited like Saria and Navi; or will she be angry at me?_ he wondered.

He lay deep in thought for quite some time; completely unaware that he was being watched…

Darkness was everywhere. Unyielding, unforgiving darkness. It had been that way for so long that he was not even sure he could see anymore. "Damn them," he thought, "damn them all! One day; I'll find a way out of here, and when I do, I'll make them understand the TRUE extent of my powers!"

This had been his train of thought since he was banished to this realm. He used to be Gannondorf, the Great King of Evil. Now; he was nothing. He possessed the Triforce of Power, coupled with his already incredible abilities; and yet he could do nothing in this realm.

"I may not be able to actually use my powers here; but I can hone my abilities through meditation. When I get out; they won't know what hit them…" he thought; when a booming voice invaded his mind.

"One would think; Gannon, that you would have figured out by now that there is no way for you to get out of here on your own…" the voice said; and then waited for a reply.

Gannondorf, stunned, took a moment to answer. "Who are you? And how did you get in here." _It would take incredible power to communicate with another in this accursed realm; _he thought _power which I DO NOT even have_!

"Your powers of perception, Gannon, are amazing as ever. I AM extremely powerful, more so than you could EVER hope to be alone. However; I am willing to share my power with you, if you'll accept my help…"

"Tell me who you are. Maybe then I'll consider your offer." Gannondorf replied warily, realizing how out of his league this being must really be if he could read Gannondorf's thoughts.

"Who I am is inconsequential; however, seeing as how you are so anxious to know and too stubborn to simply accept my help…"

"I try not to accept help from disembodied voices that I don't know; if you'll forgive my caution." Gannondorf snarled.

"…As I was saying; before you cut me off, Gannon, I'll humor you. I am the first being to ever be imprisoned in the Sacred Realm; by the Goddesses' favorite servant Ashera, even before the sages existed. I escaped once; but was sealed once again by this servant and three so called 'Heroes' in the land of Tellius. This time; however, they took certain precautions to keep me here. I have but one gateway to escape; and it is through a tiny medallion. I had all but given up hope of escaping, Gannon, when I realized that my most recent plan was thwarted with the help of the same elf-boy that ruined your plans. I can get you revenge, Gannon, if you'll work with me."

"You still have not told me your name." Gannondorf pointed out.

The voice continued, "As I said earlier; my name is of no consequence. Suffice it to say; I possess power the likes of which you never knew existed, and our goal is, shall we say, temporarily aligned."

"And that is?" Gannondorf asked.

Gannondorf shivered as a picture of a very feral grin entered his mind.

"Revenge"

Gannondorf convulsed and blacked out.

Link was lying in the middle of the courtyard with Navi sleeping on his chest when the figure who had been watching him decided to get a closer look. The cloaked one crept forward. It got within a few inches of Link and slowly reached into its cloak when the supposed sleeping hero swept its feet out from under it. Before the cloaked figure realized it, it was staring down the blade of Link's sword.

The two stared at each other silently. After a pause that seemed to last an eternity, the figure in front of Link closed her eyes and there was a bright flash of light. He regained his vision just in time to parry a sword blow with the back of his gauntlet. Link jumped away from the figure to give himself some time to think and room to swing his sword; however his opponent was right on top of him again.

Link parried a blow to his torso and brought his sword around for a feint, but instead unleashed a kick to the gut. The figure doubled over, but kept enough composure to parry Link's next attack. The two warriors traded blows, but Link clearly had the upper hand.

The cloak figure, realizing that Link was winning, started getting slightly reckless in its attacks. In a frantic move to defeat Link, it lunged forward with its sword. Link sidestepped easily and hit the warrior in the back with the butt of his sword. His opponent dropped, and Link was instantly on top of it. He forced the cloaked warrior to turn over and flipped the hood off with his sword.

"A girl?" Link asked; a little surprised. Two blue eyes set in feminine features and framed in golden hair stared back at him, fury burning in their radiant glow.

"Never met a girl who could handle a sword?" she asked angrily.

Link chuckled, "no, that's not the case. I simply assumed you were a guy. You did a very good job of disguising your appearance. I mean, with the hood up and the big robe on, you do sorta look like a guy."

His defeated opponent started squirming under his boot but Link applied more pressure. There was something familiar about this girl, Link thought, but when he couldn't instantly place it decided not to dwell on it.

"So," Link started, "are you going to tell me why you attacked me, or am I going to have to call the guards."

"Let me up and I'll talk." the girl said.

Link took his foot off of the girl, but kept his sword point a mere inch from her throat. He stared her down until she began her explanation.

"I heard the great hero of time was in the castle, and I was curious if he really measured up to the legends about him." the girl stated matter-of-factly.

Link was caught off guard. Lowering his sword, he asked, "You just said hero of time; didn't you?"

The girl give Link a look like he should know what she was talking about. "Yeah, Hero of Time. You are Link, the hero of legend, aren't you?"

"I am, but only a select few are even supposed to remember the events that earned me that title, much less know that it belongs to me."

The girl looked knowingly at Link. "Only a select few do, hero. However, whatever spell you guys put on the world to make everyone forget what happened after you turned back time didn't work on me. It's been extremely awkward being the only person I know who can remember the alternate time-line. You begin to start doubting yourself after so many people call you crazy."

"I would think so." Link said; right before his stomach gave a deep growl. He looked up and gave a lopsided grin, "come on, let's talk about this over something to eat, if you still don't have the urge to run me through that is."

The girl smiled and winked. "I'd be honored to Hero, but I gotta run. Not supposed to be here you know." There was another flash of light, and when Link's sight returned the strange girl was no longer there.

Link wandered into Castle Town marketplace, mulling over the day's events. That girl had a familiar air about her; but he couldn't place where he knew her from, or if he even did for that matter. She might simply resemble some one that he knows but can't think of at the moment. However, his ruminations were put to an end when he bumped head on into some one. Link, not very aware of his surroundings, fell backwards and hit his head on one of the posts holding up the market tents. Rubbing his head, Link looked up into the face of a giant of a man.

"Easy there killer, run into the wrong person in this crowd and you might offend someone," the man said, offering Link his hand in assistance.

"Thanks," Link said; taking the hand and brushing himself off.

"Anytime. Name's Tagg Thuron, but I usually go by my last name. Notice you're carryin a sword; know how to use it?" the giant asked, still holding onto Link's hand and shaking it vigorously.

"I'm Link. As for my sword, I suppose I know a trick or two." Link said, finally getting his hand back from Thuron.

The giant's face split into a wide grin and slapped Link's back so hard Link almost fell over. "The reason I ask, you see, is because there's a tournament comin' up tomorrow, and if you're interested there's a pretty hefty prize. First place gets two thousand rupees!"

"I'll consider it," Link said, "What does second place get?"

"Not a thing! Still, it would be worth participatin just for the fun of it. Should be a good test of your skill." Thuron said seriously. "Well, I gotta get goin'. I hope to see you there."

"You're participating?" Link asked, surprised. "I wouldn't have taken you for the sword wielding type."

Thuron laughed. "I'm not, but I never said it was a sword tournament, just a tournament. I'ma hammers man m'self. But I'm in a hurry, so I gotta get goin Link. See you there?" Thuron asked hopefully.

Link gave a slight chuckle. "Yeah, you most likely will."

"Good. Take care of yourself till then". With that, Thuron parted the crowd, standing at least a head taller than the rest of the people.

Link watched him go, then turned around and made his way back to the castle. _That was different.. Although, this tournament does sound like fun. I'll have to look into it more when I get back to the castle, _he thought.

When Link arrived back at the castle, he made his way to the room he was assigned by Malon. Walking in, he hung his sword on the door, propped his shield against the wall and removed his boots and gauntlets.

Right before he took off his hat, Link heard Navi's hushed voice. "Hey, don't remove your hat yet and keep actin' normal. There's someone behind the drapes over there."

Glancing at the window, Link noticed that the drapes were abnormally shaped. Checking his belt for the dirk he had started carrying, Link walked over to that side of the room, trying to act as natural as possible. He got to the other side of his bed and turned his back to the window, acting like he was getting in bed. As soon as he heard the drapes rustle he spun around, putting his dagger to the intruder's throat.

"Easy now, is that any way to treat the Queen of Hyrule, not to mention an old friend?"

Link sighed and let a smile take over his face. Sheathing the dagger; he took the princess up in a hug that expressed how much he missed her. Laughing, Zelda returned the hug, giving Link a massive kiss on the cheek.

"It's been so long! Where have you been you have no idea how much I've missed you, and the country has been in desperate need of a hero of your stature!" Zelda asked, tears of joy streaming down her face.

Link gave Zelda an apologetic smile. "It wasn't my intention to be away for so long, but in my travels, I learned how many different countries there really are that could use the aid of 'a hero of my stature', as you so eloquently put it."

Link and Zelda talked for hours, each recounting the past seven years, catching up on the other's life. At the end of Zelda's updates on the current state of affairs in Hyrule, there was a knock on the door. Zelda started to get up, but Link held up his hand. "It's okay, I'll get it. Besides, how would it look if it was someone who didn't know of our friendship?"

Zelda gave a mischievous grin, "Good point, a 'fairy boy' and a princess? Scandalous." Noticing the confused look on Link's face, Zelda explained. "I've been talking to Malon about you once she found out I knew you. I like the nickname so I decided to try it out", Zelda said with a wink.

Link gave a chuckle and turned to open the door. Standing in the doorway was Zelda's sheikhan bodyguard, Impa. Link stepped aside and motioned her in. Impa gave a polite bow and walked into the room.

"It's good to see you again, Link. I hear you've been busy these past seven years, what with saving worlds and reorganizing entire governments," Impa said with a smile.

"I see you're as mysteriously well informed as ever, Impa. It's good to be back." Link pulled up a chair for Impa to sit in, but she declined.

"I'll only be here for a minute, wouldn't want to intrude." With that, she turned to Zelda. "Your Highness, I thought you should know that the preparations for the tournament have been completed, they're just waiting on your final okay."

Zelda rose from Link's bed. "Link, would you like to join me?" she asked. Link just smiled and gave her a playfully exasperated shrug that said, "_ok, if I have to_". Zelda laughed and slapping him on the shoulder.

"Hey! That hurt." Link said; mock pain in his voice.

Zelda rolled her eyes, smiling. "How you ever managed to survive seven years on your own while being such a big baby is beyond me." With that, Zelda left the room, Link following close behind.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own legend of Zelda or fire emblem, only the original characters and storyline are mine

Chapter Four

Link woke up the next morning at sunrise and donned his green tunic. Grabbing his sword and shield, he made his way down to town. He was greeted by an unusual amount of people bustling about at that time of morning. Pushing his way through the crowd, Link found the signup booth for the tournament. Link got in line and began looking around, sizing up the competition. Suddenly, he was knocked forward by a massive slap to the back. "Glad you made it, Link! I was wonderin if you would," said Thuron, who was standing there with a massive grin.

After regaining his composure, Link turned around and smiled at the big man. "I told you I'd most likely be here. How's the competition looking?"

Thuron looked up like he was seriously considering something, and then gave his head a little bob. "Not too bad, I guess. There's supposed to be several hotshots from overseas, cant for the life of me remember their names though. David Coranth, a green blood from the south who's supposed to be pretty impressive. Other than that, I can't think of anyone worth talkin about… O! Hold on, that was a lie. There's some mystery girl who entered right after I did. Rumor has it she hails from Termina, and is surgical with her blades. That's just a rumor though. I've never actually seen her in battle, so I guess we'll find out wont we?"

Link looked at the giant thoughtfully. _Could it be her? It would certainly be interesting to get another chance to face her if it is._ "HEY, FOREST BOY!" Link turned quickly and noticed that he was next in line. Thuron gave Link a pat on the back and said goodbye. Link gave him an absentminded wave and filled out the entry form.

"Alright, here's the brief rundown, listen closely cuz I don't have time to repeat myself" the girl said, "there will be a qualifying round where everyone will participate in a four on four free-for-all. You win that and you make it into the tournament. Lose once and you're gone. Simple rules stand for every fight: 1. No killing, if your opponent dies and it is judged to have been an accident, you are disqualified, if they think it was on purpose, well, you get to deal with the law. 2. All weapons are legal, including magic. The only styles that aren't allowed are those that include conjuring extra fighters to your side or poisons. 3. Fights are ended by knockouts, tap-outs forfeits, or leaving the circle. Do you understand the rules?" the girl asked, more because it was standard procedure than because she cared. Link simply nodded. "Good. Here's your number, your changing tent is over there, and good luck forest boy."

Link took his number and followed her finger. He walked into the tent and took his hat off. "Hey, Navi. Think you could go and ask Zelda or Malon if they'd be able to bring me the rest of my gear? I wasn't sure if it was going to be allowed, so I didn't grab any of it." Link said; a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

"Goddesses, you're a pain. Yes, I suppose so, but I'm only doing this because I'm not sure you could survive anything without a thousand pounds of equipment with you at all times, and I've grown kind of fond of you. I figure I'll keep you around for a while if possible," Navi said and flew off.

Link chuckled, closing his eyes and laying down on one of the cots in the tent.

A little while later, Link woke to a bright light bouncing around on the other side of his eyelids. His face screwed up into a grimace and he opened one eye. "Was that really necessary?"

Navi giggled, "How in the name of the goddesses else was I supposed to wake you. You would sleep through a tornado even if it landed right on you! Besides, I have Malon, and she has your gear, and you need to get ready," Navi said floating over Link impatiently. "NOW!"

Link, grumbling, rose from his cot and made his way over to his chest of equipment. "bum," Navi muttered under her breath. She was rewarded with a swat from Link and fell onto the bed.

"Despite what you think, you're incapable of whispering," Link said with a smirk. Navi flew off the bed, but Malon stepped between them just in time. "Okay, Link has to fight in the tournament, so you can't kill each other until afterwards. Deal?"

"Deal," they both muttered under their breath.

"Much better. Link, are you sure you want to wear that old thing? I mean, the Queen _will _be watching, after all" Malon said, with a mischievous grin.

Link rolled his eyes. "Well, if not this then what do you suggest? My Zora tunic and Goron tunic are in no better shape."

"How about this," Malon suggested, tossing him a black tunic. Link caught it and began examining it. It looked like his other tunics, but at the top where there would only be a tie, there was a silver chain that kept the shirt from opening too much. Link smiled and switched tunics. As soon as he donned the new tunic, though, Link's face twisted and he ran his hand through his hair.

"Don't worry, Fairy Boy, I remembered _everything_." Malon tossed him a black cap which Link quickly put on. "There, perfect," Malon said with a smile.

Link smiled at Malon and began equipping his weapons. He strapped on his sword and then connected his bow and quiver over it. On his right side, he strapped on a bag that contained deku nuts and attached his dagger parallel to his belt in the back. Grabbing his shield, Link made his way to the circle within which his qualifying round was to be held.

Thanks. sorry for the pace, the story will pick up soon, i promise. please R&R


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own legend of Zelda or fire emblem, only the original characters and storyline are mine

Chapter Five

CLANG!!!

The clash of metal on metal reverberated throughout the circle. There was only one other combatant left in Link's circle, and he was giving Link a little more trouble than he had anticipated.

"HYAAAA!" Link ducked as his opponent brought the butt-end of her lance in a horizontal swing over his head, falling off balance at the lack of resistance. Before Link could go on the offensive, however, his opponent quickly used her haphazard momentum to her advantage and flipped her lance around, trying to catch Link with the point. Link grabbed the lance and spun with it, furthering his opponent's momentum. Still holding onto the lance, Link brought his sword around and smashed the pommel onto the back of his opponent's helmet. The green haired girl dropped in an instant. Link wasted no time and pinned his opponent with his sword.

"Okay! The match is over. Stow your weapons. Nephenee has been knocked out, making Link the victor of this circle. He will move on past the qualifying round and participate in the tournament!"

Link gave a heavy sigh and offered his opponent his hand. She gratefully took it and let him help her up. "You still fight like a demon, Link. I guess some things never change. It was a good match," she said in a slow drawl with a smile on her face.

Link gave a smiled in return, "it was. You've come a long way since we fought together in Tellius. I have to admit, I was shocked when I saw some of the Greil Mercenaries. If you don't mind me asking, what brings you all here anyway?"

"Queen Elincia is here for diplomatic reasons, and she has permanently hired the Greil Mercenaries as her personal escorts and retainers," Nephenee explained.

Link nodded, "How many of you came?"

"The whole group. Not all of us are participating though. Ike is, obviously, as well as Boyd, Mia, Gatrie, Jill, Stephan, Lethe-who is still with us on King Caneghis' orders, and believe it or not, Mist."

"Really, Mist?" Link said, slightly surprised. "Well what do you say we go watch the rest of the qualifying rounds, huh?"

Nephenee agreed and the two walked up to the circle where Boyd was battling Tagg Thuron. The two were both panting heavily, sending death glares at each other. Boyd was the first to make a move, which Thuron easily deflected. Link was watching intently when there was a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see a red haired woman staring over his shoulder, her mouth turned slightly up at the corners in what seemed to be a repressed grin.

"You know, he has amazing abilities and talents, if he could just stay focused for more than five seconds at a time. Kind of like someone else I know, eh Link?"

Link chuckled, "Come on now, Titania. You know as well as I do that the only time I lose focus is when the fight presents no challenge. I'm a forest boy at heart, we get bored easily."

Titania just laughed. "So how have you been faring? Back to your 'loner' ways, I assume."

"Not like you'd think, I got too used to being around a large group. It feels weird being alone for long periods at a time now."

Navi peeked out of Link's hat, "yeah, what did you mercenaries do to him. Link came back all talkative and whatnot. It was a little weird at first."

Titania laughed, "Talkative you say? I'm not sure I would have ever called Link talkative. However, I suppose he is a bit more open than he was when he first showed up."

Link just chuckled and turned his attention back to the battle in front of him. Boyd was now at a clear disadvantage, as Thuron had somehow taken his axe from him and was now wielding both weapons. He marched up to Boyd who was standing at the edge of the circle. Looking for a way out, and not seeing one, Boyd just gave a heroic cry and charged Thuron head on. The suicide attempt, however, didn't have the desired effect. Without missing a beat, Thuron laid Boyd out with a strait kick to the chest. Pinning him underneath his massive foot, Thuron raised both weapons into the air and gave a victory cry.

"The match is over! Boyd has been pinned, making Thuron the victor. He will now have the honor of participating in the tournament!" There was a loud cheer from the crowd as Thuron helped Boyd up and gave him back his axe.

"You fought like a bloody devil, little man. I'm not gonna lie, I was impressed. Few have ever lasted that long against my hammer. You should be proud!" Thuron said, giving Boyd a hearty pat on the back.

"Yeah, I'm ecstatic." Boyd replied, rubbing his chest. He walked up to the trio standing outside his circle and gave them a half nod. "Hey Link. Come to watch me get knocked around the ring by this behemoth?" Boyd asked, nodding towards Thuron.

Titania rolled her eyes, "You know, Boyd, the match wouldn't have been so one-sided if…"

"If I stuck to my training more and didn't slack off. I know, I know." Boyd cut her off, sighing.

Titania glared at the young warrior. Link, knowing full well what would happen if he didn't intervene, spoke up. "Hey, why don't we go check on everyone else. I want to see who all of the competition is, and I'm sure Thuron wouldn't mind getting a glimpse either."

Boyd gave Link a confused look, "you know this monster?"

Link gave a slight grin. "Yeah, we met a few days ago. He's the reason that I entered into this tournament in the first place. Come on, let's go see the outcome of the rest of the matches."

Gannondorf opened his eyes and looked around, taking in his surroundings. He glared, realizing that he did not know where he was. _Damn him, he dropped me off on some foreign world. This will complicate matters._

Getting up, Gannondorf brushed off his armor and began walking, but was quickly stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"You are the one I was told to expect, I assume" said a ghostly voice behind him. Gannondorf looked over his shoulder and was slightly shocked at what he saw. Standing behind him was a knight, covered from head to toe in black armor. Gannondorf turned and faced the knight.

"And if I am? Who are you?" he asked in a menacing voice.

The knight stared at Gannondorf for a while, appraising him. "You aren't quite what I was expecting. Oh well, I know better than to go against his wishes. You can refer to me as the Black Knight, and I assume you are the one they call Gannondorf. You do fit the description."

"Yes, I am Gannondorf. Now where are we, and when can I get back to Hyrule?" he demanded.

"Patience, we will leave soon. I must first explain to you all that is going to go on and our current situation. Come, we have little time to waist." With that, the Black Knight turned on his heel and marched off. Gannondorf mumbled a few inaudible words under his breath and then followed, making sure to stay a good distance behind. He did not trust this one any farther than he could throw him, and judging by his armor, that would be quite the feat.

Link walked up just in time to catch the end of Ike's battle. He and Stephan were the only two left, and both looked like they had had enough. Their swings were slowing, and the power behind them had greatly lessened. They spent most of their time circling each other looking for an opening. Stephan was the first to see this, or so he thought, for he lunged low at Ike. However, Ike had set a trap, and easily parried Stephan's thrust. Now that Stephan was off balance, Ike had him where he wanted him, and smashed his fist into the side of his head, knocking him completely out of the ring.

After being declared the winner, Ike made his way out of the ring and sat down panting right next to Link.

"Been a while Link. I trust your sword arm hasn't gotten rusty?" he asked, not even bothering to look up.

Link smiled, "I don't think you'll have to worry about that. It's still as good as ever."

"I hope it's gotten better, because if not you wont stand a chance. But hey, it's good to see you. I'm going to make my way to my tent and collapse if you don't mind. Sorry about the short reunion, but we'll have to catch up when I'm more coherent."

"That's fine," Link said. "I'm going to do the same here shortly. If the rest of you don't mind though, I'm going to go wander around for a bit."

After receiving nods from his party, Link made his way to the tournament board. The matches hadn't been posted yet, but a list of the finalists was up. Link scrolled down the list of sixteen names: Lethe, Gatrie, Ike, Tagg, Jill, Mai, Mist (after all, she _is _Greil's daughter), Coranth, himself, and several names he didn't recognize. As he scrolled down, Link realized that there was one other girl's name on the list- Aria. Link stared for a little bit, wondering if that was the same girl he had fought earlier, when his question was answer.

"So, Hero, I see you made it as well. Looks like I'll get another chance at you, wont I?"

Link turned around and stared at the girl. Without a cloak on, she was really quite beautiful. She didn't have the masculine build he thought she did. "I assume you're Aria, seeing as how that's the only name on this list that is remotely feminine that I don't recognize."

"I am. Pleased to properly make your acquaintance," she said, extending her hand.

Link took it, "Well, you already know my name, but if you would permit me, I'd like to talk to you and find out a little more about you. All I know is you're some mystery warrior from the east who's surgical with her blades."

"And that's all you need to know, at least for now. I'll see you in the final match, Link." With a wink, she was gone.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------thanks for reading everyone. please review


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own legend of Zelda or fire emblem, only the original characters and storyline are mine

Chapter Six

Link stared at his opponent, who was covered head to toe in shiny blue armor. When Link found out he was going up against Gatrie in the first round, he chose to use the Megaton Hammer rather than Veritas.

Gatrie lunged at Link, but Link sidestepped. The armor was taking its toll on Gatrie, and he wasn't able to move as fast as he was at the beginning (not that that was anything impressive anyway). Gatrie corrected and brought his lance down low, trying to trip Link. Link did a hop-skip over it, and brought his second foot down on top of it, trapping it long enough for him to bring his hammer down upon it.

Gatrie, who had been pulling furiously trying to free his weapon, stumbled backwards when Link snapped it. Link picked up the other end and wielded it in his right hand. Charging Gatrie, Link threw the point at his thigh, getting it stuck right above his knee. Gatrie buckled, and Link took his chance. Bring the Megaton Hammer back, Link swung it into Gatrie's chest-plate. The knight went tumbling backwards head over heels, and out of the ring.

Link walked over and helped the disoriented knight up. "That was quite a match, yet I still think you should lose some of the armor. How anyone can fight with all that on is beyond me."

Gatrie gave a hearty laugh, "Aaaah, Link, my boy, its all due to my amazing physique. You've got to be pretty huge to pull this off. Didn't seem to help me in the end though… say, you think you'd want to get this lance head out of my knee? It's kinda startin to cause a cramp."

Link stopped and pulled the lance head out in one swift motion. Gatrie winced, but kept walking. "Thanks, Link. Now, if you don't mind, I've noticed your homeland has a VERY fine selection of beauties, and I'm going to go check out the prospects," he said with a wink.

Link laughed, "Go ahead, I'm going to go rest up for my next match."

"Good luck, Link." Gatrie said with a wave before being lost in the crowd.

Link walked into his tent and took off all of his equipment, resting his hat on the post of the cot. Lying down, Link closed his eyes, trying to catch a nap before the rest of his friend's matches; which were later that day. As soon as he got comfortable, however, a voice interrupted his attempt at sleep.

"That was quite the display, Hero. I'm not sure I've ever seen you move like that." Link opened one eye and saw Zelda standing in the doorway. Smiling, Link closed his eye again and responded. "You didn't really think that I would be away for seven years and return without having gotten any stronger, did you? Unlike last time these seven years passed, I was awake for a good deal of this."

Zelda walked over and sat on the chair next to Link's cot. Link rose into a sitting position and looked at the newly crowned queen. _She's so beautiful, _he thought. Link turned his head slightly, trying to avoid her piercing gaze and hide his blush at the same time.

"So, have you heard who your next fight is against?" she asked.

"No, do you know?" Link looked hopeful.

Zelda gave a small chuckle. "I do, seeing as how I have to watch all of the fights, but I'm not sure you're going to be happy about it. You're friend Tagg Thuron easily bested that David Coranth fellow. That means you and that giant are going to face off later today.

Link shrugged, "That's ok, it was bound to happen sometime. Besides, I was actually looking forward to getting the chance to fight him. I was pretty impressed with how he moved out there during the qualifying round."

"I think you would have been more than 'pretty' impressed had you seen him out there today. David Coranth is one of the predominate swordsman from the south; royalty too. Your friend danced circles around him with his hammer, then knocked him out of the ring without ever using the head. I'd be careful out there, Link. I just got you back, and I'm not ready just yet to let you go again."

"Heh, give it a couple days, huh? I'm sure you'll be fed up with me by then" Link said with a mischievous grin.

Zelda got up from her seat and started walking out, "O, I don't know. It might not even take that long. By the way, Link, you look good in other colors than green." She turned her head and gave Link a devilish smile and then walked out.

Link chuckled before laying back down and closing his eyes. _She sure is somethin, _he thought, before drifting off to sleep again.

Link awoke to the face of a giant beaming down at him. "Link! Time to get up! I'm ready for our match, and it starts in half an hour. I want to fight you at your best, not some half asleep incoherent idiot!"

Link rolled out of bed and grabbed his cap. "Thuron, I'm going to have to teach you something about subtlety. Come on, let's go get something to eat before our match. I'm starving," Link said, as his stomach growled in agreement.

"Ha! Now there's an idea I can get behind! I'm always hungry. One of the reasons why I'm so big I s'pose," Thuron half shouted with a thoughtful grin on his face.

The two made their way to one of the many barbeque pits set up around the tournament grounds. As they were getting their food (Thuron was balancing three plates piled high with everything he could get his hands on), Link was hailed by a familiar voice.

"Lord Link! I've been wondering if I would get to talk to you between your matches."

Link turned around and noticed a very beautiful green tressed girl walking up to him, followed by Zelda and Ike. Link gave the other newly crowned queen a one armed hug and led the group over to one of the tables. Thuron looked at Link warily. Noticing, Link reassured him, "its ok, Thuron. They're my friends. You can eat with us, come on." A little reserved about eating with royalty, Thuron followed Link and the others none-the-less.

Once seated, Elincia told Link how marvelous his bout with Gatrie was, if a little short. "I don't see how anyone can fight in all that armor. It makes no sense to me at all. So who is your next opponent, Link?"

Link smiled and nodded to his left, where Thuron was unceremoniously wolfing down his food with both hands faster than the eye could see. "This giant here. Met him the other day. He's the one who beat Boyd earlier, and I hear he's devastating with his hammer."

Elincia looked a little worried, but didn't say anything. She had learned in her time with Ike's mercenaries that size could be deceiving, and the best thing to do was to trust in her friend's abilities. Keeping this in mind, Elincia wished both fighters good luck, before her and Zelda retreated back to their seats at the section set up for the visiting royalty. After all, this was partially an event to increase relations between Hyrule and the surrounding lands. Darunia was there, as well as King Zora, the Governor of Clocktown, and Naburoo; along with other royals from around the world.

Zelda and Elincia sat beside each other, getting ready to watch the fight between Ike and Lethe. It was now the second round, and many of the Greil Mercenaries had made it past their first bout. The remaining eight fighters were as follows: Ike, Link, Lethe, Thuron, Mist (who was continuing to shock everyone, including herself), Mai, an unknown fighter from across the sea named Devereaux (who was almost as big an upset fighter as Mist because of his tiny stature), and Aria.

Ike and Lethe stepped into the ring, and waited for the fight to begin. Both stood at opposite ends, calmly watching the other. After the two were announced to the crowd, there was a small pause and a bell tolled. Before it had finished reverberating, Ike charged Lethe, thrusting strait for her. Lethe jumped onto the tip of his sword and flipped head-over-heals above Ike's head, landing behind him.

As soon as Lethe's feet hit the ground, she transformed into her cat form. Growling, Lethe made to pounce on Ike, but missed. The young swordsman rolled to his right and was back on his feet just in time to dodge a claw-swipe from the powerful laguz.

Ike cut diagonally across Lethe's body, catching her in the shoulder. Lethe, apparently unfazed, snapped at Ike. Her sharp teeth barely caught the outside of his left hand. Ike withdrew his had quickly and punched Lethe with his sword in his hand. The cat was caught off-balance and rolled away. Seizing the opportunity, Ike jumped into the air and did a very acrobatic flip, bringing his sword down upon Lethe. However, he only connected with the ground and was forced to regain his balance quickly.

Lethe rolled out of the way and dove at Ike. Ike barely had time to duck, and she went flying over him, almost skidding out of the ring. Ike saw this and grinned to himself. He had to find a way to beat Lethe, because the only way he could match her speed was if he swung to kill, and he couldn't do that for several reasons. It was much easier to hold back against a human, Ike thought. The Laguz had him sorely outmatched when it came to speed and natural strength.

Ike jumped back and got closer to the edge of the ring. The two started circling each other, both standing at opposite ends. Lethe was the first to move, and shot towards Ike. Ike feinted forward, but instead did a backwards somersault. Meeting no resistance, and not having as much room to properly stop herself as she thought she would, Lethe slid out of the circle. The official called the match and Lethe transformed instantly.

"That was a dirty trick, you coward!" Lethe spat, seething.

Ike gave her a tired grin, "Come on, rules say I have to hold back, and since you're naturally _SO _much stronger than I am, as well as faster, I had to think of something quick. There's no way I could have won otherwise. Like you so eloquently pointed out to us in Tellius, we Beorc don't quite have the stamina that you Laguz do." Ike stated, hoping to appeal to his friend's pride.

It worked like a charm, and Lethe calmed down a bit. "I suppose you're right. We _are_ naturally stronger and faster. There's not much you could do if you're not allowed to kill. It was still low, though. Don't think I'll forget it next time we spar."

Ike sighed. He knew he couldn't get away with his trick that easily. "That works, but for now, I'm going to rest and watch Link's next match."

"I'm going to get something to eat. I have not eaten for a while."

Ike nodded and the two went their separate ways, Ike making his way to the tent for the royals (for he was Elincia's bodyguard as well as a noble now). He walked up behind the princess and stood there, looking over her shoulder. Link and Thuron were now walking out into the circle.

"Ladies and gentlemen! On my left, the mysterious swordsman from the forest, and the only non-Kokiri with a fairy, Link! And on my right, the giant from the northlands, Tagg Thuron!" There was an ear-shattering cheer from the crowd, and as soon as it died down, the bell was rung.

Thuron gave a mighty leap into the air, and brought his hammer down where Link had been standing just a second before. Link gave a horizontal swing towards Thuron's midsection, but the giant dodged the swing with speed that was not befitting of someone his size.

Quickly reversing his momentum, Thuron caught Link in the stomach with the hilt of his giant hammer, causing Link to double over. He then turned his hammer around and brought it down. Link, still doubled over, rolled forward and slid between Thuron's legs. He got up quickly and slammed his shield into the giant's back. Thuron fell forward, somewhat shocked at the strength of the smaller fighter. Turning around, he swung his hammer low, hoping to catch Link in the waist. However, Link was no longer there.

Confused, Thuron looked around. As he turned around again, though, he heard a low hum coming from behind him. He spun to see Link standing there in a battle-ready stance. That, however, wasn't what caused Thuron to hesitate. It was Link's eyes. He swore that there was a green mist covering the radiant blue and white that was normal. Shaking it off, Thuron charged Link, hammer held above his head. Link crouched slightly, preparing to spring at any second. The fight was over in an instant.

As Thuron brought his hammer down, Link sidestepped and swung his sword up, severing the handle from the hammer head. Thuron stumbled forward because of the drastic change in weight distribution. Link jumped and kicked the giant in the back, using his falling momentum to his advantage. Thuron tripped over his own weapon and rolled out of the ring.

"The fight is over! Link is the victor, and will advance to the next round!" The crowd let out another ear-shattering cheer.

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thank you, friends. finally throwing in some real action. please review


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: i do not own legend of zelda or fire emblem. only the story itself and the original characters are mine. which should be obvious given the fact that they are original

Chapter Seven

The last two rounds of the tournament were to be held the next day, the four remaining fighters being Mia, Aria, Ike and Link; Mist having gotten knocked out in her battle with Mia. Although she fought valiantly, her luck had simply run out and it became a battle of basic skill. Being the senior swordswoman of the two, Mia had Mist at a major disadvantage.

That night promised to be a very festive evening. Zelda held a massive feast at the castle, and all the nobles as well as the Greil Mercenaries had been invited. Link, of course, was there as well. He had tried to get Thuron to attend, but the massive man refused. "That's okay, Link, fancy parties ain't my thing. I'll stick to the festivities in town. Besides, I've gotta find someone to repair my hammer after you did that number on the handle."

Zelda was sitting at the head table, with Elincia and Ike on her left and Link on her right. She had officially appointed Link her guardian. This did not make a whole lot of sense to Link, seeing as how the castle was filled with guards, but he didn't ask any questions. He enjoyed any excuse that allowed him to be next to her.

However, despite his pleasure at getting to be next to Zelda all night, Link was still bored out of his mind. He began zoning out when Zelda and Elincia's conversation turned to building a strong alliance between their two countries. He gazed around the dining hall, observing all of the nobles. Ike's mercenaries had their own table, and it was clear that they weren't nobles. Titania and Boyd were sitting next to each other, which proved to be a bad idea. Boyd was wolfing down everything he could get his hands on, completely disregarding proper etiquette. This obviously bothered Titania, and Link saw her give the young man a solid smack across the back of his head. This prompted a chuckle from Link.

He continued gazing over the crowd, when his eyes caught someone he didn't expect to see there. Sitting at one of the many tables, conversing with a group of Zoras, was Aria. Link politely got Zelda's attention. "Excuse me, Princess, but do you know who the blonde girl is talking to the group of Zoras?"

Zelda followed Link's gaze and nodded. "I do. Her name is Aria Cerasin, she's the adopted daughter of an Ikanan noble."

Link looked confused. "I thought that the Ikanan royal line was dead. In fact, I thought that I destroyed their remains" he said with a grimace.

"You probably did. What I speak of is one of the native elf tribes in the area. They served and protected the King in much the same way the Shiekah do the royal line of Hyrule, while having their own royal line, a very mysterious race to be sure. They were Ikana's answer to the Garo ninja's. She's not actually here on any diplomatic mission, seeing as how there are really no relations at all between Hyrule and her people, she's just here to participate. However, I thought it couldn't hurt to have her here for the feast."

Link nodded, absentmindedly. _I can't shake the feeling that there is something extremely familiar about her… like I should already know her. _He voiced his thoughts to Zelda.

Zelda smiled, "Well, Link, I can understand that. Anytime you look in a mirror, you would probably see her." Link gave Zelda a curious look, causing Zelda to laugh. "It doesn't surprise me that you haven't seen it, but she looks eerily like you. I think she's your female doppelganger, I've never seen two people who aren't related look so much alike. That's probably why she looks so familiar: she's the female you."

Link thought about it. _She's right, Aria and I _do _look a lot alike I suppose. That must be the reason; at least it makes sense. _Even after arriving to this decision, Link still couldn't get rid of the feeling that there was something else about her. He decided to give up for the moment and enjoy the night.

The two massive figures made their way out of the forest and gazed across the wide open plains. Gannondorf smirked, "I'm finally back. Let's see how these wretched people stand up to my power this time". He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, smelling the cool night air. He then continued, "So, Black Knight, shall we make our way to the Desert? I believe the Spirit Temple will be the most easily toppled. I have little faith in the 'Sage' abilities of Naburoo."

The Black Knight nodded. "Gannondorf, there is one slight problem. Although you may not be remembered by your appearance alone, I am a little conspicuous."

"Then take off your armor, fool." Gannondorf replied simply.

"It is not so simple. I refuse to remove my armor in potentially hostile territory. I suggest we find a different means of getting to the desert than walking."

"Hmhm, very well," Gannondorf chuckled, "we'll fly". With that, Gannondorf closed his eyes and chanted what sounded like a spell under his breath. The Black Knight simple waited and watched. After he had finished his incantation, Gannondorf opened his eyes and waited. Soon, there was a terrifying screech coming from over the forest and the two turned.

Flying overhead were two gigantic winged horses. Unlike a normal Pegasus, though, both were black steeds, with flames burning where their mane and tails should be. The Black Knight looked at Gannondorf, "Pegasus horses are nothing new to me, and I have fought many Pegasus Knights in my time. However, never have I seen one with flames sprouting from its body."

Gannondorf nodded, "Nor would you have. These are two special cases. I did not breed these two; rather, they were born of the molten rock that exists in the heart of Death Mountain. They are the only two of their kind, as far as I know."

"Impressive."

Gannondorf mounted his steed and waited for the Black Knight to do the same. Much to Gannondorf's surprise, and slight disappointment, the Knight had no problems what-so-ever and leapt right up onto the back of his Pegasus. Gannon grabbed the reigns and gave the winged horse a kick to the ribs. Both Pegasus darted off at the same time in the direction of the Desert Temple.

As the festivities started dieing down and the guests began to retire, Link made his way out to the balcony to catch some fresh air. Leaning on the concrete rail, he looked out over Hyrule field. In the distance, he thought he saw something flying across the sky, but when he blinked to get a better look he could not find it again. Shrugging, he turned his gazed towards the town and the fun that was being had there.

"There you are; I thought you had left."

Link turned around to see Zelda staring at him from the doorway. "Sorry, Princess, I needed to catch some fresh air."

Zelda walked up to him and smiled. "That's okay, I understand. These things can get a little boring sometimes. At least you get the luxury to leave, if you want," she said with a wink.

Link smiled, "Well, I _did _have that luxury, until you appointed me your personal bodyguard. Now I've got to make sure you're not too far away from me at all times."

"You know, the only time you actually _have_ to watch over me like a hawk is when there aren't a million and one guards watching every possible entrance. You could have left tonight, you should have asked me."

Link laughed, "Oh well, I'll know that for next time now, I guess. Anyway, why are you out here? Has the party already cleared out?"

Zelda leaned on the balcony facing back into the dining hall and nodded. "I thought I'd come out and see you before I retired. We haven't gotten to spend as much time alone as I would have liked."

Link looked at her, a little confused. "Alone? We were alone just the other day."

In her head, Zelda was rolling her eyes. _Doesn't pick up on hints well, does he? _she thought to herself. The Queen sighed, "Yes, I suppose it slipped my mind. Sorry. Hey, you should be getting some sleep. Lord Ike has already retired, and you fight him first thing tomorrow. You'll want to be at the top of your game, he's pretty good I hear."

Link offered the princess his arm, "You're right, I should get to bed. Would you mind if I escorted you back to your room?"

Zelda stood and took Link's arm, "I would love that, Hero". She smiled as the two walked off towards Zelda's room. _Maybe he's not as oblivious as he seems. We'll have to see how things go._

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Thank you for reading. please review


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own legend of Zelda or fire emblem, only the original characters and storyline are mine

Chapter Eight

Link was up the next day as soon as the sun began to peak over the horizon. He was sitting on one of the thick upper branches of an enormous tree just outside one of the castle's many balconies' playing his ocarina. As he played the slow, lilting melody, he realized he had an audience. Out of the corner of his barely open eye, he saw someone leaning over the balcony, listening. He closed his eyes and continued playing the melody.

When he finished, the onlooker spoke up. "That was beautiful, Link. When did you learn that piece?"

Link turned his head and looked at the queen. "I learned it in my travels. It's called the 'Wedding Gift'. A Zora named Lulu used to hum it, and I liked it so she taught it to me. You really like it?"

"I love it," Zelda replied. "Could you play it again for me? I heard the music from my balcony and decided to come down and take a closer look."

Link smiled and started up the melody again. However, not even halfway through, Zelda received a tap on the shoulder. Turning, she beheld her attendant standing there. "I'm sorry to interrupt, your Highness, but you are needed for the preparations of today's events."

Zelda frowned, but nodded her understanding. She turned back to Link, who had stopped playing. "I'm sorry, Link, but I have to go. Duty calls. Maybe we could continue later?"

Link smiled and nodded, watching Zelda walk off. _Damn,_ he thought. He got up and jumped from the tree to the balcony. As soon as he landed, he was greeted by his fairy friend. Navi flew up to him and sat on his shoulder. "That sucks, Link. I was really hoping you would get to woo the queen. O well, next time, right?"

Link simply rolled his eyes at the fairy's comment and made his way back to his room to gather his equipment. As he was walking up the stairs, he bumped into Ike.

"O, hey, Link. I was just at your door. I was hopin' to get a chance to talk to you before the match. I have a proposition."

Link smiled at the mercenary. He had a feeling he knew what it was, but he decided to humor him. "Oh?"

"In our fight today, I say we use just swords. I want to test your sword arm, I have no doubt that with all of your gadgets and whatnot that you would win, but I want a chance to see how we match up."

Link nodded slowly as if he was thinking about it. Finally, he answered, "I'm game. I'm curious as well. So just swords then."

Ike grinned, "Right, this should be fun." He gave Link a slap on the shoulder then took off down the stairs. Link shook his head and walked into his room, grabbing his sword and his dirk. He wasn't going to carry the dirk into the ring with him, but he decided to take it with him for the moment. _After all, _he thought_, if I beat Ike, then I'm fighting either Mai or Aria; and I didn't make such a deal with either of them._

Leaving the rest of his gear there, Link made his way down to the dining hall. He had an hour until his fight, and was a firm believer of not doing anything on an empty stomach.

Link was lying on his cot, resting up before his match and listening to Navi ramble when Malon walked in. "Hey, Link, I hear you're fighting that blue-haired mercenary from Tellius. Aren't you two friends or something?"

"Yep," Link said, his eyes still closed.

Malon walked over and sat down next to his cot. "I also hear he's pretty good. Think you can beat him?" she asked.

Link simply shrugged. After a moment of silence, he asked, "So why aren't you participating? You were pretty impressive at the ranch."

Malon looked at him, "O, I can handle stalchildren alright, but I'm not up to par with any of the fighters who made it to the later rounds. Besides, I don't quite have enough control over my abilities yet. I might accidentally kill someone, or seriously injure them."

Link nodded understandingly, and then got up and grabbed his sword. Helping Malon up, Link gave a small sigh. "It's time. Are you going to be in the stands, cheering me on?"

Malon flashed Link a brilliant smile, accompanied by a wink. "Of course, Fairy Boy. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

The two swordsmen stood in the circle, staring one-another down. They were totally oblivious to the sounds of the crowd. The only thing they were listening for was the bell, nothing else could break their concentration. They didn't have to wait long.

Neither made any sudden movements. They began circling the ring, Link with his sword at a high guard and Ike with his resting comfortably at his side. Their eyes were locked onto the others, and after several rounds of evaluating each other, they both came to a stop. The pause seemed like an eternity to all who watched.

Suddenly, Ike dashed forward at blinding speed, bringing his sword across Link's torso. Link brought his sword down and deflected the attack. With a simple flip of his wrist Link's sword flashed in a rising diagonal blur. Ike bent uncomfortably out of the way and popped back up, jabbing at Link's shoulder. Link turned with the sword and countered. Their blades locked.

The two powerful warriors pushed at one another, each trying to gain the upper hand. When it was clear that it was a waste of time, they both jumped back. Once again, Ike was the first to charge. When he got close, he made a very acrobatic leap over Link's head, taking a hack at him as he passed overhead. Link turned and swatted the sword away with the back of his silver gauntlets.

When Ike landed, he grabbed his cape and flung it out of the ring. "It was getting irritating." he said with a smirk. Link simply nodded. Deciding that it was his turn to go on the offensive, Link surged forward. His blade bounced off Ike's, who countered with the same amount of success.

As the fighters got into it, the two blades became a blur as they danced and whirred dangerously around the two combatants. Many in the crowd could not keep up with what was going on, much less tell who had the upper hand. Finally, for the sake of those watching, Ike gained the upper hand just long enough for the crowd to catch up. He had Link on the defensive. Realizing this, Link ducked under Ike's next attack and then did a very impressive back-flip away from his opponent.

However, this did not buy Link the time he had hoped it would. As soon as he landed, Ike cut twice through the air. Two razor-sharp energy blasts radiated from his sword and hurtled towards Link. Link razed his sword just in time, blocking the first blast. Unfortunately, he could not block the second, and it left a horrid gash across his sword arm.

Link struggled to keep his balance from the force of the blast. The two stood there staring each other down, Link clutching his arm. Finally, with a smirk across his face, Link spoke up, "So, that's how we're doing it."

Ike stared strait into his eyes. "I said only our swords. That was a sword technique, as you well know."

Link nodded and rose again to his full height. He held his sword in front of him so that his thumb was facing away from the blade; his right hand hovering next to the emerald pommel stone. Ike watched as the pommel began to glow along with Links eyes. Soon, the blade was glowing a brilliant green as well.

Not wanting to see what Link had in store, Ike charged him. He jumped into the air, bringing his sword down in a powerful arch. At the last possible second, Link dove out of the way, swinging his sword in Ike's direction. A brilliant blast of energy escaped his sword and landed a direct hit on the mercenary. The force of the blast sent Ike sprawling.

When Ike hit the ground, the judge walked up to the edge of the ring. After noticing that the young swordsman's eyes were closed, he walked up and got a closer look. He quickly made his decision.

"Lord Ike of the Greil Mercenaries has been knocked unconscious. Link will proceed to the championship round!"

The crowd exploded. Link sheathed his sword and walked over to Ike. Helping him up as best he could, Link drug him to the infirmary set up nearby. He lay the mercenary down on one of the cots then sat back down and waited for a nurse to sew up his arm.

Gannondorf and the Black Knight entered the Spirit Temple with the Gerudo in the lead. Coming to a stop before the giant statue of the sand goddess, Gannondorf looked around the temple.

"So, Knight, let me make sure I understand. All I need do is bring this temple to the ground, correct?" Gannon asked without looking over his shoulder. The Black Knight gave an affirmative grunt. Gannon grinned and turned to his companion. "Well, in that case, I hope your armor can stand up to a thousand pounds of falling stone," and with that, Gannon raised his hands into the air. With a feral yell, his hands started glowing and the temple began to shake. The Black Knight simply stood behind Gannondorf, watching intently.

In no time at all, the entire temple began to crumble around them. A giant piece of stone from the ceiling crashed into the Black Knight, shattering harmlessly upon his blessed armor. He continued to stand stone still, not even flinching.

When Gannon's work was done, he looked around and surveyed the wreckage. None of the stone had fallen upon himself, but the Black Knight was buried beneath tons upon tons. Gannondorf grinned and began to walk away when he heard rustling from beneath the rock.

With a mighty heave, the Black Knight threw off the massive stone that had covered him up. Looking around, he nodded to Gannondorf. "Good work. Now let's make our way to the second temple. We need to stick to the schedule."

Gannondorf simple growled and whistled for the two demon horses. Mounting them, the two made their way south towards Lake Hylia.

Link took a swig of the blue potion he was carrying while watching the fight between Mia and Aria. As fast as Mia was, it seemed that she couldn't get the advantage on her opponent. Aria's sword, a dragon sword with nine gold rings dangling from the dull end, moved fluently and flawlessly wherever it needed to go, as if the fight had been choreographed and the sword was dancing as it was supposed to.

Mia lunged one last time at her opponent; but lost her balance and, with a little help from the dull end of Aria's blade, fell out of the ring. Aria walked over and helped Mia up, then made her way directly to Link.

"I was wondering if you'd show up. You seem to do a lot of sleeping," she pointed out while sheathing her sword at her side. Link grinned and awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I suppose I do spend a lot of time on the cot."

Aria laughed, then looked mischievously at Link. "Are you ready for our match? I saw that gash on your arm from the last one, and I don't want to fight you unless you're at your best. There's no glory in beating a gimp, you know."

Link raised the empty bottle that had held the blue potion up so Aria could see. "I got my arm sewed up right after the fight, and this blue stuff works wonders on injuries like that one. It's almost completely healed up. Don't worry, I'll still put up a good fight, promise."

Aria smiled and nodded, then turned to walk off, calling over her shoulder as she did, "well then Link, I'll see you in an hour. Don't forget, your promise." With that, she disappeared into the crowd.

Link grinned then walked off. He was too excited for his next match to go back and sleep, so he sought out Malon (seeing as how Zelda had too many duties to attend to) and the two got something to eat before Link's next match.

Link grabbed his sword and made his way to the ring. He spent the trip there wishing he had brought his shield down. _Not one of your better ideas, Link,_ he thought to himself. Shrugging to no one in particular, Link entered the ring. Aria was already at the other end, resting on her sword with her eyes closed. The second Link stepped into the ring, she opened her eyes and smiled at him. Link drew his sword and the two nodded to the official. Shortly after, the bell rang.

Aria caught Link off guard with the speed of her immediate attack, causing him to nearly backpedal out of the ring in a desperate attempt to dodge her blade. Not giving Link time to recover, she quickly followed up with another horizontal attack. Link brought up his silver gauntlet, but in his off-balance state couldn't completely stop the blade. Tightening the muscles in his right arm and using the force of the swing to spin him around, Link brought his own weapon up in a vertical attack.

Aria jumped back and immediately followed with a back-flip. However, she changed momentum the second her feet hit the ground and lunged for Link again. This time, however, Link had gotten over his initial shock and was not caught so off guard. Parrying with his sword, Link threw his arm up in front of Aria's chest and stuck his foot behind her, causing her to fall backwards.

Link brought his sword down in hopes of pinning her, but Aria rolled out of the way before he got close. Jumping up, she reached into her belt and hurled two small diamond shaped blades at Link. The hero deflected the first one with his sword, but the second one caught him in the shoulder. Grunting slightly, Link ignored the blade and took the offensive again, lunging at Aria.

The Ikanan princess dodged the blade. Both warriors then brought their swords around for another attack. Both weapons were stopped mid-swing by the other's free hand. Link, who was much stronger than the smaller girl, started forcing his sword hand down. When she realized there was no way to win this particular match, Aria gave in and, rolling onto her back, flipped Link over her.

Link flipped around and righted himself in mid air, spinning around just in time to catch Aria's sword with his own blade. He shoved her off-balance and reached out with his right hand, catching her shirt collar. Pulling her to him, Link used his leg to once again sweep hers out from under her. However, this time, she didn't have the opportunity to move. Never letting go of her shirt collar, Link followed her down. The second she hit the dirt, his sword was at her throat. They stayed that way for several moments before the official declared the fight over.

Sheathing his sword, Link helped Aria up. Upon doing so, his hand got caught in a necklace she had been wearing. Pulling his hand back, Link accidentally snapped the chain and the small pendant dropped to the ground. Not noticing, Aria congratulated Link on his victory and took off before the crowd could rush the ring. Giving him a wink and a wave, she told him that she'd find him later and they could talk about the fight then. Before he could give her her necklace, she was lost in the crowd.

Malon was the first one to reach Link. When she got to him, she escorted him towards Zelda to get him away from the crowd. After they made their escape, the princess walked up to Link and gasped. "Link! You still have that shuriken stuck in your shoulder!"

Link looked down at the throwing blade and winced in surprised. He went to remove it, but Zelda's hand beat him to it. "Okay, clench your teeth, this may hurt" and with that, Zelda yanked the shuriken out of Link's shoulder. If it hurt when she pulled it out of his arm, he didn't show it. Zelda then had one of the workers bring her a piece of cloth which she used to wrap Link's shoulder and stop the bleeding. Link sat through the entire process without even a grimace.

Zelda looked at the weapon in her hand, then back at Link. She shook her head and smiled at the hero. "You're impossible. Come on, you have to accept your prize and greet your new fans." Zelda led the way to her seat, where she could see all of the spectators and publicly award Link the prize money.

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"The Wedding Gift" is a real Celtic song. I don't know who does it (if anyone does, please let me know), but check it out. It's what was going through my head when I was imagining him playing ocarina.


	9. sorry

Hey everyone, Caleb here. Sorry for the wait on the new chapters (and sorry that this appears as a new chapter but this is actually all you get), but my laptop crashed, and it had the next 10 chapters I believe it was. I cant recover them, but I'm working on rewriting them, so bear with me and give me a little bit of time.

Thanks


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: i do not own Legend of Zelda or Fire Emblem. only the story and original characters are my own. that's why they'er called original.

Chapter Nine

It was just after sunrise and Castle Town was beginning to show signs of a new day. People were bustling about here and there trying to get their shops prepared for the rush soon to come. Link made his way through the sparse crowd of people, not entirely sure where he was going. He was stopped a few times by people who recognized him from the tournament the day before, all giving him very warm congratulations. However, after the sixth person or so, Link became uncomfortable with the attention. Realizing that it would only get worse as the day progressed and Castle Town became more crowded, he made his way through the gate and called Epona to him.

Jumping onto the horse, Link speed off in the direction of Lon Lon Ranch. Because of the nightly stalchildren and poe infestation, he knew it would be deserted at the moment. Making his way to the center of the corral, Link hopped off Epona and looked around. The horse lay down on the ground and snorted. Link smiled, laying down beside her with his head propped up against her side.

"This has been sorely needed, huh girl?" Link asked his horse. Epona gave him a low whinny in response, causing Link to chuckle. "I agree," he said, as if they understood what the other was saying, "it's been too long since we've gotten to truly rest. I could get used to it".

"I don't think that's going to happen just yet," said a voice to Link's side. Link opened one eye, his left hand on the hilt of his sword. Flying towards him was Navi, and from the shade of blue she had taken on, Link guessed that something was going on. Sitting up, he turned to better observe the fairy.

"Why is that?" he asked, apprehension playing at the edge of his voice.

"The Queen wants you; something has happened to the Spirit Temple that's got all of the Sages flustered. To make matters worse, no one can contact Rauru" said Navi, her tone surprisingly calm.

Link and Epona both stood together, as if the horse had understood every word of their conversation. Hopping onto her back, Link lifted his cap slightly and nodded towards Navi. "Come on, lets get back to the castle". Without a word, Navi took her spot in Link's hat and the three speed off with surprising legerity back towards Hyrule Castle.

When they arrived at the castle's outer gates, Link didn't even bother stopping; instead riding Epona strait through the marketplace, much to the irritation of the guards and citizens roaming the town. Link rode right up to the small moat in front of the castle before hopping off of Epona and running past the guards and into the castle. As soon as he entered the large gate he was greeted by Malon.

"What's going on," he questioned.

"I don't know, but Zelda and some of the other higher-ups are in an uproar. Everyone's looking for you, where have you been?" she asked exasperatedly.

"At your ranch relaxing in peace and quiet. Where's Zelda?" Link asked, walking past Malon despite the fact that he really had no idea where he was going.

The girl grabbed his arm and turned him around. "Slow down there, Fairy Boy, you're going the wrong way. Come on, follow me". Nodding, Link followed Malon through the castle. They eventually arrived at a large pair of double-doors. "Well," Malon said, "this is where I stop. I've got a pretty good feeling that this is out of my league if it's got everyone as flustered as it does. Be careful, Link, I know you're one hell of a swordsman, but I'm not sure what they want from you. After all, you're not a soldier, and I'd be pretty irked if you went off and got yourself into some serious trouble when we just got the chance to meet up again". Link simply nodded and smiled in response. Flashing him a dazzling wink, Malon took off down the hallway, leaving Link to face what was behind those doors on his own.

Link busted into the hall and was surprised at the number of people present. He had expected to see Zelda and the Sages, but there were others there who's presence had thrown him off. Elincia was there and she had brought with her Ike, Titania and Soren. Also standing around the table were a few men whom Link was sure were nobles from somewhere or other. However, the one who surprised him the most was Aria. She stood next to Zelda, listening as intently as everyone else to what Nabooru had to say.

"I've searched the ruins countless times now and still cannot find any evidence alluding towards who did it. Nothing decisive at least. All I know is that whoever it was possessed a ridiculous amount of power," she explained.

"What exactly happened?" Link asked over the low murmur. Everyone's attention was suddenly on him.

"Why is he here? He has no noble status," asked one of the men sitting at the table; who clearly saw Link as just some peasant who was good with a sword.

Zelda simply ignored the man's question and brought Link up to speed. "The spirit Temple has been destroyed," she stated bluntly. "What's worse is that, as of yet, we have nothing to go on".

Link stood there, thinking over what Zelda had just told him. "What reason could anyone have for destroying the Spirit Temple?" Link asked.

"That's one of the problems," Zelda explained, "there could be any number of reasons for destroying the temples".

"Temples," Link said in an inquisitive tone, putting emphasis on the "s".

Zelda nodded, "You don't think they're honestly going to stop with the Spirit Temple, do you? That's part of the reason you and the Greil Mercenaries are here, Link". Turning again to the group, Zelda explained her reason for calling those who weren't Sages. "I've called the rest of you here because I believe that a storm is brewing, and not just one which puts Hyrule in peril. I believe that this will have great effect on the rest of your lands as well".

A low murmur fell over the crowd. Zelda raised her hand and immediately the room was once again silent. "Please," she continued, "hear me out. We don't know what this person or persons are planning, which is why I will not make this public by mobilizing the army just yet. For the sake of preventing a panic or even extreme unease, I have enlisted the help of the Griel Mercenaries and Link to handle the investigation. We will decide on a course of action based on what they uncover".

"That doesn't explain why our presence was requested," proclaimed a man who stood in the corner, arms crossed over his broad chest. He was a rather large man who possessed no hair on his head and a vicious scar that ran down the right side of his face. He wore baggy pants, a rather ragged white shirt and a vest over it made from the hide of some animal Link didn't recognize. Link noted that he must be one of the nobles, despite the fact that he didn't fit in with the rest.

Zelda nodded, acknowledging the man's question. "You, Tarin, along with the rest of you, have been brought here simply to listen to my request. The Gerudo's and Zoras are already aware of what happened and have agreed to help keep this a secret until the right time. However, rumors tend to spread like wildfire, and I thought it best that you hear it directly from my mouth first. Now that you know, I would like to ask that you help me keep these rumors down to a minimum for the time being. I think it would be in all of our best interest to avoid panic".

Overall, the group seemed to agree with her point. However, there is always one, and the man who had been offended by Link's very presence chose this time to speak up. "Why is it the Zora and Gerudo are allowed to know? Are our people not as trustworthy as the fish and the thieves?" he asked, making little attempt to hide his disdain.

Nabooru and Ruto shot up in a flash: sword drawn and fins extended. Link got in between the man and the Sages with lightning speed. Zelda stepped in with her back to Link's. "You forget yourself, Lord Adonnal. If you have complaints, present them in a manner befitting of your status. You'd do well to keep that in mind," Zelda said with a look on her face that, to bystanders looked innocent, but when it was directed at you was enough to freeze the blood.

Adonnal simply scowled and sat back down. Zelda once again turned to the rest of the group and continued speaking. "The Gerudos know, obviously, because the Spirit Temple is right next to them and hence their responsibility. The Zora, on the other hand, were told because the quickest way for us to get a mass message out is the waterways. This has nothing to do with your respective peoples, and was not intended to be a shot to your pride. If there are any other complaints, I ask that you come and speak with me personally later. For now, though, I must call this meeting to an end. I must go over the plans with the mercenaries, so if there is nothing else then you are all free to go".

No one said anything, the nobles simply turned and made their way out of the hall, Adonnal turning briefly to send a glare Zelda's way which Link caught but Zelda ignored. When they had all left (save Elincia and Aria) Zelda gave a heavy sigh and collapsed into the chair behind her, eyes closed. Link walked up and allowed one of his hands to rest on the back of the chair. "Are you alright, your highness?"

Zelda gave a light giggle, "Link, they're gone, no need for formalities anymore. And yes, I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern though".

"Forgive my rudeness, but shouldn't we get down to business. It is to my understanding that this is a very pressing matter," said Ike, stepping forward.

Zelda made to stand but Impa stepped forward and lightly stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "You're right, Ike. The map you see on the right side of the table is of the Gerudo Desert and the Desert Goddess, or Spirit Temple. We would like you to pick three out of your ranks to go with Link to investigate the area. Also, I ask that you split your remaining group into two. One will go with Saria to help her protect the Forest Temple, and the other will come with me to aid in the protection of Kakoriko Village, the Shadow Temple, and the Death Mountain Pass if we can. Ike, I ask that you go with Saria to the Forest Temple, and Aria, I request your presence with me. A mage or staff-user capable of teleporting a large number of people should go with each group as well as someone with aerial combat capabilities. It would also be wise for a healer to go with the two groups protecting the temples. Are there any questions?"

Soren stepped forward and looked between Ike, Elincia and Zelda as he spoke. "I think it would be prudent for us to send word back to each of the respective leaders in Tellius. I believe Queen Micaiah and King Sothe owe us a favor or two, as well as Empress Sanaki and… well, quite frankly, I think they all owe us a favor or two in one way or another. Besides, even if they can't send help at the moment, they should be prepared".

Zelda nodded, "Point taken. I'll have Eagle Knights take off immediately. Is there anything else?" When no one spoke up, Zelda nodded again and called the meeting to a close; dismissing everyone in the room.

As everyone was leaving Link walked over and pulled Aria aside. Reaching into the pouch at his side, he pulled out her necklace with the circular pendant. "I believe this belongs to you," he said with a grin on his face.

Aria's eyes lit and she immediately took the necklace from Link. "How did you get this? I thought I had lost it, I was so worried!" she said with more feminine excitement than Link thought her capable of. Laughing, Link explained what had happened after the fight. Aria nodded her understanding then stood on her tip-toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Well, thank you very much, Hero, I owe you one," she said with a smile on her face.

"Don't worry about it. Although I do have a question: who were those people in the picture?" asked Link.

Aria gave Link a mild glare. "You looked?" she asked impatiently.

Link scratched the back of his head and averted his gaze. "Can you blame me? I was just curious," he said sheepishly.

Aria opened the locket and a small smile crossed her face as she looked at the picture. "It's the only thing I have left of my biological family. I don't really remember them very well. Huh, I can't even remember their names. Just little glimpses in my memory here and there".

Link looked at her thoughtfully. "You know, I think I may know someone who could help you. When we return from this mission, I'll talk to her and see what she can do," he said, smiling at Aria.

"If you could do that, you would be _my_ hero, Link," Aria said with a smirk. She gave him a big grin then turned to followed everyone else out of the hall.

Link turned back towards the hall and walked up to Zelda. The Queen was still sitting in the chair, albeit a little more slumped than before. When she noticed Link making his way towards her she smiled. "Yes, Link?" she asked, predicting a question.

Link's face was more serious than she expected. Looking the girl in the eyes he asked, "Zelda, Nabooru's gone over the site how many times and found nothing. I have no qualms with going out there and investigating, you know that, but I'd like to know why you're sending me after she's already torn the place apart for clues. What is it you think I'll find that she wont?"

Zelda closed her eyes, carefully choosing her words. "I think that, if you find the right spot, you will be able to sense the residual energy where Nabooru or any of the Sages could not," she explained, letting her words sink in.

Link stared at her for a while, studying her facial expression. When he was sure he understood her, he sighed and leaned against the table. "So you think he's returned. If that's the case, then the seal didn't last long," he stated.

Zelda nodded her head but said nothing. A tense silence fell over the room, one filled with the worry of two of the only people who remembered the alternate timeline. Finally, Zelda lifted her head, making eye contact with Link. "Link, if he really has returned then I believe there is a greater force behind this. I don't believe it possible, even with a piece of the Triforce, for him to possess the power necessary to break the seal so soon. We may be in real trouble here, Link, and I'm afraid that I am going to once again have to ask you to lend me your sword," she said, a hint of remorse in her voice.

Their eyes were locked for a brief moment when Link's face broke out into a reassuring smile. "Zelda, your Highness, you should know by now that you have only to ask for my help and you have it. After all, I'm the Hero of Time, it's what I do," he said, his grin shifting to one side at this last part. Zelda snickered and stood up, playfully slapping him on the shoulder.

"You really did become more open in your time with the Greil Mercenaries. I'm going to have to ask Ike how he pulled that one off," she said jokingly. However, despite the brief moment of levity that Link's small joke provided her, Zelda's mood returned to the somber one she had just a moment before. "Link, I have one more favor to ask of you. I would like you to remain my bodyguard. However," she said, lifting her hand to stop Link from speaking, "that isn't the favor. Link, last time something like this happened, you had to face it alone. We're all in this together, and we're here to help you… I'm here to help you. So don't try and do this alone, okay? You're official job may be to protect me, but that doesn't mean i can't protect you as well".

Link looked Zelda in the eye and, for a moment, a feeling of understanding passed through the two. He gave Zelda a small smile accompanied with a nod. "You have my word, Princess. Come on now, you look like you're ready to collapse on the spot. Can I accompany you to your room?" he asked, offering Zelda his arm.

"It would be my pleasure, Link," she said, giving him the most genuine smile he had seen from here all day. Taking his arm in hers, the two made their way out of the hall and up to Zelda's quarters.

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Thank you all for reading and sorry it took so long to update. For those of you who've played radiant dawn, you'll know who Micaiah is. i plan on incorporating characters from that story into this one, but i'm changing around the events of R.D. so that they fit my story better. i hope you enjoy it. Pleas Review


	11. Chapter 10

disclaimer: i do not own legend of zelda or fire emblem. only plot and a few original characters are mine.

Chapter Ten

Link pulled Epona to a stop in front of the gate leading to the desert and hopped off, resting his hand on the saddle. Turning to the group that had been assigned to him he said, "Alright, Soren, it's on foot from here. The horses can't make it through the desert. Jill, your Highness," he said, for Queen Elincia had come with them (although Link still wasn't sure why and was fairly uncomfortable with the situation), "you two can fly overhead. Nabooru says it's all rubble, but even so, you should be able to see our destination". He turned back to Epona and grabbed the brown cloak he had brought with him, wrapping it around him so that enough material was left for him to fashion a hood. Soren grabbed his black cloak and did likewise. "Well," he said, "shall we be on our way?" Link received an affirmative from his group, and with that he gave the guard at the gate a nod. The gate rose and at the same time Jill and Elincia took to the skies.

Link led Soren and Lethe through and the three painstakingly made their way through the desert. Link could hear Lethe growling behind him the whole way. _I'm gonna hear it for this when we get out of here, _he thought. He hadn't exactly given the Laguz fair warning; simply telling her that it was quite a sandy area. "A desert, you say?" had been her only reply. 

The three emerged from the sandstorm and Link pulled his hood off, with Soren following suit. Looking to where the Spirit Temple had once stood, he was shocked at what he saw. Nabooru had told him countless times that it was all but completely gone, but he felt that he had still underestimated the depth of the situation. Where the massive Desert Goddess had stood was now nothing but rubble. He was brought out of his inner thoughts by a tap on the shoulder from Lethe, who had transformed. Turning, he was greeted with the sight of a seething Laguz.

"What was that all about, where was the warning!" she spat at him.

"I told you it was sandy," Link said defensively.

"You idiot," she said with an exasperated sigh, "deserts are always sandy. That's their primary characteristic. What you didn't tell me was that we'd have to cross the sea of perpetual sandstorms!"

"I didn't know there'd be a sandstorm," Link replied, hoping she'd buy it.

"Bullshit, Soren just told me that it's always like that, that's part of the reason the Gerudos built the Spirit Temple all the way out here," she said, a smirk of victory on his face.

_Damn, _Link thought. "I'm sorry? Look, I'll make it up to you when we get back, I promise".

Lethe looked at him for a while, studying him, then nodded in agreement. "Fine. Let's get to work". With that, Lethe reverted back to her cat form and made her way over to Elincia and Jill; who had been standing there the whole time.

"Your Highness, Jill, do you two want to take to the skies again and see if anything stands out from above?" Link asked.

"Of course, Link, but I have to make one request. Stop calling me your highness. We're friends," Elincia said.

Link apologized, promising to call her Elincia from now on. Turning to Lethe and Soren, he laid down the rest of their investigative plan. "Alright, Soren, I don't think I need to tell you why you're here, but be on the lookout for any traces of magic not characteristic to a structure like this. If you get anything, let me know. Lethe, I'll be relying on your nose, so do what you can". Soren simply nodded, making his way off towards the temple with books in hand. Lethe, still in cat form, gave Link what he assumed to be an affirmative growl and took off towards the rubble. 

Link wade his way through the rubble, searching for any hint of who might have done this. In the back of his mind, however, he hoped that it wouldn't be him who figured it out. After about an hour, Elincia landed her Pegasus next to Link and dismounted. "Master Link, neither Jill nor I have found anything. Are you having any luck down here?" she asked hopefully.

Link shook his head absentmindedly. After putting down a piece of stone that had caught his attention for no particular reason, he stood and looked at Elincia. "Your Hi… Elincia. May I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Link. Go ahead," she said, with more enthusiasm than Link felt the situation merited.

"Why did you come? Don't get me wrong," he said quickly, realizing how he sounded, "it's great to have another set of eyes, and you're a tremendous help; but, it seems that something like this has too high a level of risk. I mean, you're help has been greatly appreciated, but we could have handled it alone as well. I just don't get why Ike let you".

Elincia smiled at him, but Link still noticed a small look of indignation in her eyes. "Master Link, if Queen Zelda told you that she was going to come with you, would you really be able to stop her if she had her mind set?" She gave the young man a moment to ponder the question. Finally, Link sighed and told her that there would in fact be very little he could do to stop her. "Master Link, Ike already understands the revelation you just came to. You fought alongside me in the Mad King's War, if you know me enough to know that I'm capable of handling myself, then you should also know that I don't like sitting back while everyone else does all the work. Zelda has things to attend to, both with her kingdom and as a Sage. I, however, have little to do at the moment to keep my mind off of you all if I weren't here. Does that answer your question?" she asked with a tilt of the head.

Link sighed and smiled at her. "I guess you're right. I'm sorry, it was rude of me to ask, your presence here is greatly appreciated." After a pause, Link asked, "Elincia, if you're here, then who have you left in charge of Crimea?"

Elincia, who was now poking around the debris absentmindedly answered, "I've left Count Bastian of Fayer in charge in my stead. With Lady Lucia and Lord Geoffrey's help, he should have no problem keeping the rest of the nobles in check. Especially not after we put down that uprising". 

Link nodded his understanding and turned back to investigating the rubble, searching for any hint of left-over energy from another piece of the Triforce.

Ganondorf and the Black Knight made their way down to Lake Hylia from the vantage point where they had left their mounts. Looking around the lake, they noticed Zora warriors patrolling everywhere. Ganondorf fixed his eyes on the temple, where Ruto stood on top. 

"There," he said to the Black Knight, "the Water Temple. And the Sage is standing right on top of it. This should be easy."

The Black Knight simply nodded. After a brief pause between the two, he began making his way down the steep slope, Ganondorf walking right behind him. "Hold up, Knight. I have an easy way of doing this," he said, resting his left hand on the Black Knight's shoulder. Stepping in front of him, Ganondorf walked up to a little river that ran into Lake Hylia and submerged his hand into the water. The water around his hand began to bubble, and steam arose from the eerie glow that had appeared. The signs of boiling water quickly spread to the rest of the lake. It didn't take long before many Zora gave out painful cries, some trying to make it to land.

Ruto, who was standing on the Water Temple, looked around franticly for the cause of the sudden temperature increase. When she saw Ganondorf her heart nearly stopped. Thinking quickly, she crossed her arms in front of her chest. When she spread them tiny blue sparks shot out by the thousands and fell into the lake, instantly cooling it. Turning her attention back to Ganondorf, she attempted to send a mental S.O.S. to Zelda. 

"_Zelda, Ganondorf is attacking the Water Temple! I'm gonna need help fast, I'll hold him off as long as I can." _There was a brief pause in which Ruto grew anxious, and then she felt an affirmative response. Turning to the closest Zora, Ruto ordered him to take the men and get out of there.

"My princess, we cannot abandon you, we will fight beside you!" he said, arguing gallantly with Ruto.

She whirled on the poor Zora. "You idiot, you have no idea what you're up against. Get your men and get the hell out of here… NOW!" she screamed at him when it became apparent that he wasn't going to move. The warrior begrudgingly bowed and the went to round up his men, attempting to help with the injured. Ruto dove into the lake, popping out on theopposite shore only a few seconds later. 

"You're supposed to be trapped in the Sacred Realm, how are you here?" she asked, standing in a battle-ready stance with her fins extended in a blade-like fashion. 

Ganondorf simply laughed at her, making his way closer. "I had a little help, and now, as you can see, I'm back. I'm going to get revenge on ever last one of the Sages as well as the Hero of Time!" Turning to the Black Knight, he nodded to the escaping Zora warriors. "Knight, you should take them out. If they get away, news of our presence may get out."

At this, Ruto lost it. Doing a back-flip, she hurled a ball of light blue energy at Ganondorf and another at the Black Knight. Landing on her feet, she dove into the water just in time to avoid an energy blast from Ganondorf, who had apparently been un-phased by the attack. Rising into the air, the Dark King rose above the water searching for Ruto.

Ruto stopped and turned around so that she was facing up. Seeing Ganondorf hovering above the water, she put her hands together in front of her chest. As she spread them apart, a ball of dark blue energy formed in between them. The ball continued to grow until Ruto felt it was enough to damage her pursuer. Throwing her hands out in front of her, the ball shot out of the water and collided with Ganondorf

To her horror, the attack barely made a scratch on the man. Worse, it had alerted him to her whereabouts. Grinning, he brought his hand back. Energy began to gather above his head. With an evil smile, he made eye contact with the Zora Princess just before hurling the ball of energy at her. 

Ruto speed off, dodging the attack by mere inches. Turning around to counter, she found that she still did not have the time. Ganondorf had prepared hundreds of tiny energy blasts in the short amount of time that it took her to dodge the first one. Ganondorftossed the tiny balls at Ruto, not even bothering to aim due to the sheer number of them. 

Ruto's eyes widened and she continued to cut through the water at incredible speeds, dodging the small energy blasts that now all but blanketed the water. When she thought that she may finally have avoided all of them she turned once again to view Ganondorf, but was met with one of the stray energy attacks to the stomach. The wind was knocked out of her and a second and third energy blast instantly collided with her body. She lay floating in the water, seemingly lifeless.

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thanks for reading. please r&r


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: i do not own legend of zelda or fire emblem

Chapter 11

"_Link, we have a problem. It's as we feared, Gaondorf is at the Water Temple as we speak. You need to get there now!"_He heard Zelda's voice in his head and it took him a minute to comprehend what had just happened. As soon as realization dawned on him he was off. "Soren, Lethe, over here! Elincia, Marcia, come down! We need to go, now!" he yelled to the others.

"Link, what's wrong?" Navi asked, but didn't get a response.

"What's the problem?" Soren asked as he trotted up to Link. "Have you found something?"

"Something like that. Can you get to Lake Hylia?" he asked the mage.

"It's that way, right?" Soren asked, indicating with a point of his thumb. "I think so. I can at least get really close."

"Can you take Lethe?" Link asked. Soren nodded affirmatively. "Good. Elincia, I need you to go back to the castle and I don't have time to argue. Marcia, you escort her, don't let her out of your sight."

"Link, what's wrong?" asked Marcia, clearly as confused as everyone else. "Why the sudden urgency? And why can't we go along?"

"Zelda will explain everything at the castle. I'm sorry, but this is entirely too dangerous for you to come with us, Elincia. Please understand," Link pleaded. Elincia simply nodded her understanding and mounted her Pegasus, taking off with Marcia following shortly behind. "Alright, lets go you two. Be prepared to fight as soon as we arrive. We'll be going up against Ganondorf. He's extremely powerful, so don't take him lightly, understand?"

The two nodded their understanding to Link. Soren closed his eyes and began muttering a teleport incantation while Link pulled out his ocarina and played the Serenade of Water. The three were instantly swept away to Lake Hylia.

Ganondorf gave a small chuckle, making his way down to recover his prey. He could see her body floating to the top. As it emerged from the water, however, he noticed a small blue aura surrounding it. Eyes wide with surprise, the Gerudo man was hit by a bone-crushing column of water that shot up into the sky. Ruto came flying out of the column, rapidly firing bursts of blue light at Ganondorf. Many went wide, however three collided with the man, furthering his disorientation. Pleased with the apparent success of her attacks, Ruto kept hurling energy at her opponent. Putting her hands in front of her to summon a larger ball of energy, she fired the attack at Ganondorf. However, despite the ferocity of her attacks, the large ball of light proved ineffectual.

With a mighty yell, a small aura of bright yellow light surrounded Ganondorf. The Water Sage's energy attack collided with the aura and was sent back at her with incredible speed. Struck by her own attack, Ruto was sent plummeting to the lake, clearly unconscious. With a growl, Ganondorf made his way down to finish the job.

When he reached the Sage he grabbed her by the neck and held her inches from his face. "That was unwise, princess. You should have stayed down. It would have made this much easier". Pulling his hand back, Ganondorf got ready to dispose of the Zora Sage. However, just as his hand was about to descend a bright flash of light surrounded him and he let out an agonizing cry, dropping Ruto into the lake below. He made to turn around and find his attacker when he was once again struck with a painful shot of light, this one knocking him into the water.

"Soren, see if you can use your magic to bring Ruto over here," cried Link, who was standing on the warp platform with bow in hand. The young mage, who had landed shockingly close to Link, stepped forward and, with a wave of his hand, conjured a powerful wind that lifted the Zora princess and gently laid her onto the ground at his feet.

"Alright," Link began, "you two are go…"

Link was cut off as Lethe let out a loud growl and tackled him to the ground. Link was about to take his surprise out on the cat when a sword flashed above him in the spot he had just been standing. The two rolled off in opposite directions, both getting back on their feet in a battle-ready stance.

"You… you're also supposed to be gone. Ike beat you at Nados Castle," Link said in surprise. Before him stood the Black Knight, sword at his side. He raised his sword and pointed it at Link.

"You fought alongside Ike. Link, correct? Yes, I remember hearing tales of your battle prowess. Some even said you rivaled Greil's son in skill with the sword. Will you allow me to test that rumor?" asked the man standing across from Link in his ghostly voice.

Link said nothing, simply replacing his bow with his sword and shield. Taking a step forward, Link raised his sword to mirror the stance of the Black Knight. The two stared at each other for a few seconds and the world seemed to stand still. Suddenly, with a nod, the fight began with ferocious speed. Their swords clashed as both vied for the upper hand. A green haze began to cover Link's eyes as he tapped into the Triforce of Courage to provide him with extra strength. When it became apparently pointless to continue the stalemate, the two broke and stepped away from each other. As they charged again, however, their contest was interrupted by a blast of energy

"He's mine, Knight! Find your own prey!" growled Ganondorf. He made his way down to the small island and landed in between Link and the Black Knight, his glare falling upon Link. "It has been quite a while, hero," he said mockingly. "You know, when I saw you and the iron-clad fool behind me dueling, I realized something. Do you know what that is, Link? I've never had the chance to test my sword arm on you. You and I have never dueled. I find that strange; regretful even. I think we should remedy that," he said. A black hole appeared in front of him and from it Ganondorf drew a giant double-edged sword. Holding his sword at his side, Ganondorf pointed at Link and said, "Prepare yourself, Link. We end this here."

With that, Ganondorf rushed him, not giving Link a chance to respond. His giant sword crashed into Link's shield, sending vibrations all up his arm and causing his balance to falter. Ganondorf swung the sword a second time, which Link also stopped with his shield. However, this time Link swore he heard the familiar sound of bones cracking. Using his failing balance to his advantage, Link rolled backwards and sprung up far enough away that he could regain his composure before another onslaught. This did not seem to worry Ganondorf, as he was taking his time in walking over to the young hero.

"Is this all? I remember our last fight being far more difficult than this, Link. Granted, I have become more powerful during my time in the Sacred Realm… MUCH more powerful. But I would have assumed that you would make progress too. I now see you've been slacking". The giant man slowly stalked towards Link, who was steadily backpedaling. Feeling had returned to Link's arm, but at the time he almost wished that it hadn't. He could feel the fractured bones in his right arm and the pain nagged at him.

Discarding his shield, Link stood strait and once again tapped into the Triforce of Courage. Holding his sword in front of him so that his blade dissected his body, he closed his eyes as a faint green hue began to swirl around him. "Navi," he quietly said to his fairy companion, "tell Soren to get Ruto and Lethe out of here. They don't stand a chance in this battle".

"Link! There is no way I'm going to leave you alone. I'm st.."

"I know, Navi," Link said, cutting her off. "You can stay with me. We'll get out of this, I don't plan on going toe to toe in a battle I can't win. But I want to make sure that they can get out of here first."

Accepting Link's answer, Navi flew off without another word to relay the message. Soren and Lethe were now at the opposite end of the lake, and it looked like Soren's analytical mind had already assessed the situation. Link watched as Navi relayed his message while he continued to gather energy. Ganondorf was clearly not worried in the least, as he had stopped his advance to allow Link the time he needed.

"I see I was at least partially wrong… you have gained some skill since last we met. I see you now at least have a basic understanding of how to use your Triforce part. However, it will do you no good. The Triforce of Courage is but a useless toy compared to my power," he said with a small smirk.

When Link finally saw Soren take Ruto and Lethe and disappear he smiled and once again turned his attention to Ganondorf. "Shall we?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

"Gladly," Ganondorf said with a grin. Link charged Ganondorf and lunged at his torso. The Gerudo parried but Link spun and brought his sword back around to take a swipe at his head. Ganondorf stopped Link's blade with the back of his gauntlet and gave the young Hylian a feral grin before punching him in the stomach then sending him flying with a back-hand. Link collided with the tree next to the warp point… hard.

Navi rushed over to him and danced around in front of him, flashing all kinds of colors. "Link! Link, get up! You're not allowed to die here, you have to get up!" she cried, bouncing into his face. Link's face contorted into a grimace and he swatted at the fairy.

"I'm fine, Navi," he said, lifting his cap so that she could take her place inside. When she was safely inside Link stood again, holding his right shoulder with his sword arm. "Let's get out of here, what do you say," he whispered towards his hat.

"Sounds like a plan," said Navi, who was nervously peeking out of his cap.

Taking a step forward, Link grabbed his word in both hands and raised it above his head. His eyes turned bright green and the misty aura that had surrounded him earlier returned. Ganondorf advanced, a smug look on his face. "Well, it seems you are not so pathetic after all. However, if this is the aid that the Triforce of Courage provides you, then I'd say it is more of a curse than anything. What you do now is no longer bravery, it is sheer stupidity. Hand the your piece over to me and I will finish this swiftly".

Link said nothing, waiting for his moment to strike. "Very well," said Ganondorf. He took two more steps forward then lunged at Link with tremendous speed. Link sidestepped the attack with speed that belied his numerous injuries. Not prepared for the lack of resistance, Ganondorf stumbled slightly. He whirled around as fast as possible, but it was too late. Link stood behind him and, as soon as their eyes met, brought his sword down with enough force to shatter the ground beneath him. A wave of energy smashed into Ganondorf with incredible force, sending him flying into the lake behind him.

Link took this opportunity to escape. Sheathing his word, he pulled out his ocarina and played the Prelude of Light. Ganondorf emerged from the water just in time to see a plethora of yellow sparks where Link had once stood fly off into the distance.

Fuming, the Great King of Evil landed on the little island next to the Black Knight. He looked his partner in the eyes. "Why did you not stop him, Knight?" he asked.

"You told me that he was yours and yours alone. I honored that wish. Besides, you will have another chance at him. However, if you should fail a second time I will not hesitate to dispose of the Hero of Time," he said, amusement hinting at his voice.

Ganondorf glared but did not take the bait. "It would be wise to get off the island, Knight. I have a hunch that all that armor will make it difficult to swim." The Black Knight, nodding slightly in agreement, turned and made his way to shore. As soon as he was off the bridge Ganondorf rose into the air and sent a powerful blast down at the Temple. There was a bright flash of light. When the Black Knight's vision returned to normal, the Water Temple was no longer there.

I wanted to thank everyone for the reviews that you left. This story originally started off as something I was doing for myself, but due to the positive reviews it is now being continued to for you. Thank you very much for reading and i'll try to update again soon. As always, please review.


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: i do not own legend of zelda or fire emblem

Chapter 12

Link lay panting in the middle of the Temple of Time with Navi collapsed in a similar fashion on his chest. "What the… what was that?" she asked in between gasps for air. Link simply shook his head in response. "I know he's stronger than you, but there's no way even the Triforce of Power should grant him that much strength. He was a monster!"

Link closed his eyes, trying to sort out his thoughts. _His power… it was incredible. I didn't stand a snowball's chance in Hell. Where is he getting all this energy? _he thought.

"Any ideas on how we're going to beat that thing?" Navi asked.

Link sighed and shook his head again. "You tell me, you're the battle fairy. I just knock 'em down when they're set up," he said through pants, still not having caught his breath.

"Well, believe it or not, I don't actually have all the answers; which means that we need to find someone who does. Or at least has the ones we don't," she responded. Standing up on Link's chest, Navi stretched and began hovering above him. "Come on, we need to get back to the castle and warn Zelda".

Link made an attempt to stand up. However, as soon as he got about half way he collapsed onto his knees holding his side. "Damn. This could be problematic," he said, grimacing at the pain.

Navi floated over to his side and poked a couple of Link's ribs, causing him to wince. "Seems like you've got a couple of broken ribs," she observed.

"Thanks," Link said sarcastically, "I don't think I could have come to that conclusion on my own."

Ignoring him, Navi asked, "Do you think you can walk, or do I need to find someone to help us?"

Link shook his head and drew his sword. Grunting in pain as he did so, he used it to get himself back on his feet. When he was finally up again he took a moment to steady himself, then sheathed his sword and made his way to the Temple's smaller side door. Navi flew up to him and perched on his shoulder as the two made their way back to the castle.

When Link finally made it up the hill to the castle, he was sweating heavily. It was night, so he had passed only a few people in town; all of whom decided to ignore him. His body ached all over. Upon noticing him and his condition, the guards at the front gate bolted to help him. Seeing the oncoming help, Link finally let himself go and collapsed on the spot, unconcious.

--

"We have a problem," said a tiny voice from behind Ike. Turning, he spotted the pint-sized Sage of the Forest standing there with a solemn look on her face that, Ike felt, did not suit the girl. "Princess Zelda just contacted me. It seems we are up against a man known as Ganondorf. I believe you know about him from Link," she said questioningly.

Ike nodded to the girl. "Yes, I've heard stories. The way Link talks of him the man is quite the terror. However, he is still one man. This should be manageable, right?" he asked.

Saria shook her head. "It's not that easy. Even with his previous level of power it took Link and all seven Sages to seal him away. We did this because we did not believe our power to be enough to kill him. However, this time he seems to have returned with even more power. Not only that, but Zelda claims that he was with an accomplice who also possessed incredible strength. She told me to relay the message to you, for she believes that you know of him… she referred to him simply as 'the Black Knight'…"

For an instant, Saria swore she had seen Ike's face pale. "That's impossible. I destroyed him over three years ago. He couldn't have possibly survived, an entire castle fell upon him," Ike said, not sure he believed the little Sage.

Saria shrugged, "Well, Ganondorf should not be here right now either, but he is. It seems that we are dealing with several impossibilities at the moment. However, whether it is true that he has returned or not is irrelevant at the moment. It doesn't change what we have to do, and that is protect the Forest Temple at all costs. Are you with me, Lord Ike?"

Ike nodded absentmindedly. _If he has returned, then I will have to face him a second time. _His hands clenched into fists. _He will not survive again!_ he swore to himself.

"Hey, Ike, calm down," Saria said, placing a hand on his arm. He looked down into the Sage's concerned face. "It'll be okay. Look, you seem to be a lot like Link. In most ways, I would say that's a good thing, but don't go off thinking that this is you against the forces of evil. It's not. You have friends and an over-abundance of help. Remember that, okay?" she said, tilting her head.

Ike relaxed his fists and smiled at her. "You're right. Whether it actually is him or not does not matter. We will face what comes our way. You have my sword, Saria. Let's make sure that this temple continues standing, huh?" he said with a smile on his face. Saria smiled back and gave him an affirmative nod. Turning, the sage went back into the temple to continue communing with the rest of her counterparts.

--

"It seems we now have a problem on our hands," said the Black Knight.

"Oh?" replied Ganondorf.

"It seems that, by now, everyone will have been alerted of our presence. Though our combined power is more than enough in these small battles, I find it unlikely that we will be able to take down the rest of the temples without an army at our backs. Not only will we have that boy Link to deal with, but the two who appeared with the Hero of Time back there were part of a mercenary group known as the Greil Mercenaries. I have fought against them before, and the entire group is very capable. Far more so than the average soldier. Them along with the Sages and the Hero of Time alone could be more than we can handle. Not to mention they will have the Queen's army at their backs as well," he explained.

"Hmmm. Valid point. But what do you propose we do, Knight? I no longer have an army simply awaiting my orders, and I know of no way to procure one quickly enough to suit our needs," Ganondorf said.

"I take it that you've noticed the increase in your power? Well, even though he is not at full power, our master still has incredible powers. This would be but a trivial effort for him to aid us," the Black Knight.

"I see. But understand something: he may be your master, but I serve no one. I'm simply doing his bidding at the moment because it happens to coincide with my own goals. He is by no means my 'master'" Ganondorf stated bitterly.

"Very well. It is irrelevant to me anyway. For now, however, we must return to Tellius. I feel that we will find the army we need there." With that, a small circle appeared around the feet of both Ganondorf and the Black Knight. Before Ganondorf could say anything the two were instantly whisked away to the continent across the sea.

--

Link woke with a low groan. Opening his eyes, he scanned the room. He slowly came to the realization that he was back in the room he had been staying in at the castle. With a tremendous effort Link sat up in his bed and stared out the window. It was bright outside and a cool breeze blew through the window. Link wondered how long he'd been out.

He was going over the recent battle in his head when he heard voices outside making their way towards his room. "…I don't want to bother him if he's sleeping. I just wanted to check on his condition, I can come back when he's awake," one said, still too far away for Link to really recognize.

"Nonsense!" said the other, quite a bit louder than the former. "If he's asleep then there's no way you'll wake him up. The guy sleeps like a rock. If he's awake, then there's nothing to worry about anyway, so come on, let's go!" the tiny voice exclaimed excitedly. Link immediately recognized it as belonging to Navi. He heard an exasperated sigh come from the other person and then there was a light knock on his door.

"Come on in," Link yelled. The door opened and Navi flew in, followed by Zelda. Link grinned at the both of them. Navi flew up to him and sat on his shoulder, resting her arm on the side of his head.

"Feeling better, I see," she said, more as a statement than in the form of a question.

"Yeah, much. You're loud, you know that?" he asked, a mischievous lopsided grin on his face. Navi scowled and punched the side of his head before getting up and flew over to rest on Zelda's shoulder instead. Link just smiled at the two. "Princess," he acknowledged, "it's good to see you."

"Likewise," Zelda replied. "You do realize I'm queen though, right?" Link simply smiled in return, causing Zelda to roll her eyes in mock annoyance. There was a moment of silence, which Zelda finally broke. "So, I see you are finally awake. We were starting to worry about you, you know".

Link raised an eyebrow in confusion. "How long was I asleep that you started to worry?" he asked.

"It's been three days since your battle with Ganondorf," she told him. Link's eyes widened and he made to get up from his bed when Zelda gently but forcefully pushed him back down. "I don't think so. You're not ready. Besides, Ike's mercenary group has the Shadow and Forest temples covered for the moment, and Darunia obviously knows of the threat. I think the Gorons, if prepared, can take care of themselves for a while. Despite the fact that they always seem to be in some form of trouble or another, they really are quite the capable race; especially where battle is concerned," she reassured him.

Link reluctantly rested against the headboard o his bed. Zelda eyed him up for a bit before asking to inspect his wounds. Link complied and lifted his arm so that Zelda could check out the damage. He had bandages wrapped all around his torso underneath his arms and his right arm had a splint on both sides with bandages holding it together. Zelda gently probed his ribs, causing Link to flinch slightly when she got to about the fourth one. "I see it's still a little bruised, but you've healed remarkably. Let me see your arm now," she commanded gently.

Link gave her his right arm and Zelda carefully unwrapped it and removed the splint. Turning it over and testing it between her fingers she thoroughly inspected the bones. Her gentle attention caused the hairs on Link's arm to stand strait, despite the mild discomfort. He turned his face towards the ceiling in hopes of hiding the rush of blood to his cheeks. Although she noticed, Zelda said nothing, simply allowing a smile to grace her features.

"Well Link, it seems that the fairies did an excellent job on your arm. Although, I think the Triforce piece you hold also helped a little. It's not fully healed, but I think we can take the splint off if you'd like. However, I think we should leave the bandages on," she said.

Link nodded at her. "That's fine," he said.

Zelda wrapped his arm up again then stood from her seat. "Well, Link, I have to go. It seems that Ganondorf and the Black Knight have vanished from Hyrule and we currently cannot track them down. To make matters worse, no one has been able to get in touch with Rauru. I dismissed it at first, as I had more important matters to attend to, but I can no longer ignore this. If something has happened to him then we might be in trouble, as I'm sure you know".

A look of concern crossed Link's face. "What do we do if something has happened to him. Without all seven Sages, how can we stand against Ganondorf?" Link asked. His question, however, sparked another and he asked it before Zelda could answer. "Speaking of which, how is Ruto?"

"She's fine," Zelda said, "perhaps a little more banged up than you are, but she'll make it."

"Good," Link replied, relieved.

"Well, I have to go. However, to answer your first question before I go, I'm not quite sure what we will do if something has happened to him. Another sage will awaken, I'm sure, but at a time like this that could prove to be quite problematic to have an inexperienced sage working with us," Zelda explained worriedly.

Link flashed her a smile that held more confidence than he truly felt. "It'll be fine, I'm sure. Besides, we've done this once before, and last time six out of the seven sages were brand new to the job. I'm sure that whatever happens, we'll find a way."

Zelda smiled at his attempt to reassure her. "You're right, we'll find away. We've managed so far. Well, anyway, you get some rest. You're going to need it," she said. Leaning down, she moved his bangs away and kissed his forehead then turned and made her way out of the room.

Navi once again flew over and stood on Link's shoulder. "I like her, when are you two finally going to hook up?" she asked mischievously. Link glared at her playfully, turning and blowing her off his shoulder. The little fairy squealed as she was sent flying off.

--

"Your Highness, a royal envoy from Hyrule has just arrived. She claims she needs to speak with you as soon as possible, that it is of the utmost urgency. Will you see her?"

_"Yes, thank you, Touroneo, we will see her now. Please have her sent in". Turning to her husband, she said, "This is a new one. We have never dealt with Hyrule, I wonder what could have come up that causes them to send an envoy to us with an urgent message. What's your take on this, Sothe?"_

"I'm not sure, Micaiah," the green-haired young man answered, "but I'm sure we wont have to wait long to find out. Isn't Queen Elincia in Hyrule at the moment?"

Micaiah thought for a minute then nodded. "She is. I hope nothing has happened to her," she said with concern.

"I'm sure she's fine. The Greil Mercenaries are with her. It would take an entire army to get to her through them, as I'm sure you saw when we clashed with them," Sothe reminded. Micaiah simply nodded in response.

They looked up as the door open and a woman clad in armor walked in. She made her way to the front of the room and knelt before them. "Queen Micaiah, King Sothe, I am Eveleen Dowell, envoy of Queen Zelda Aislin Harkinian. Her majesty along with Queen Elincia Ridell Crimea have sent us to each continent on Tellius with a warning. Hyrule has been attacked, and both Queen Zelda and Queen Elincia not only view this as a threat to Hyrule itself, but possibly the world."

"Who attacked Hyrule? I know of no country that would benefit from spending the insane amount of resources it would take to invade that continent?" asked Sothe.

"As of when I was sent her majesty was still unsure. We are being hit from the shadows. Because I am not clear on the details I was sent mainly to present this warning, so that you might be prepared should this begin to affect Tellius as well. Both Queen Zelda and Queen Elincia believe there may be someone on this continent may have more knowledge on the matter. Along with the message, however, I was also instructed to present you with this," she said, reaching into the large pouch she carried. From it she pulled a large, shiny stone that to the untrained eye seemed normal enough if not for its unnatural smoothness.

"That is a seeing stone, am I correct?" Micaiah asked with fascination. Eveleen nodded and continued to hold out for them to take. "These are incredibly rare. Has she sent one to each country's leader?"

"She has. They are for you all to commune with her. She ordered me to inform you that, if you chose to accept this, then she will get in contact with you soon and explain all she knows of the situation and keep you updated as it progresses," she said, relieved when Micaiah finally came down and took the rather heavy stone from her.

Looking at the seeing stone and then back to the envoy, Micaiah nodded. "Very well. I will wait for Queen Zelda to get in touch with me before I make any formal decisions. Is this all?" Micaiah asked politely.

"It is all, your highness," said Eveleen.

"Very well then. Thank you, your message has been properly delivered. You are free to go. If you wish, we will provide quarters for you and a place for your mount to rest for the night. I am sure that crossing the great sea is no easy task," Micaiah offered. Eveleen thankfully took her up on the offer, and Micaiah signaled to have her provided with food and sleeping quarters.

When she was out of the room, Micaiah turned and set the stone down, looking to Sothe. "Well, we know that they are okay for now. What do you think?" she asked.

"I think we have no choice but to wait and see. I'm sure this Queen Zelda will be able to explain more. That poor envoy seemed to have little knowledge of what was going on," Sothe said.

"You're right. I suppose we will have to wait," Micaiah said with a sigh. After a moment of silence, she said as if to no one in particular, "If this reaches Tellius, I don't know what we'll do." She turned and looked Sothe in the eye. "I am not prepared to fight another war".

--

Thank you everyone for reading. For those of you who've played radiant dawn, i'm going to change that story-line around. It came out in the middle of my writing this, and i decided i wanted to incorporate some of those characters into the story. However, when i went back and reread what i had to see how they would fit, I realized it would be a problem. Therefore, the events of the radiant dawn era arent going to be the same as they were in the game. i think i'm going to devote a whole chapter to bringing you up to speed. Also, for those who have not played radiant dawn, there may be some spoilers in here. I'll try to give you fair warning about the big ones (such as the black knight), but i make no promises. Thanks again, and please R&R


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda or Fire Emblem. Only the story and original characters are mine. Oh, and warning: rather large spoilers in this chapter (Black Knight's identity). Don't read if you don't want to know.

Chapter 13

Ike wandered the halls of the castle in bored irritation. He had finally been ordered by Queen Elincia to take a break from his constant vigilance of the Forest Temple. He had stayed there day and night for two weeks; allowing his comrades to rotate with Zelda's hand-picked soldiers but never doing so himself. As far as he was concerned, he didn't need a break: it's not like there had been any fighting to take a break from anyway.

Still brooding, Ike rounded the corner without paying attention to where he was going. Before he could react he collided with the person coming from the opposite direction, seeing only a sea of green before he knocked the other person over. Looking down to see who it was that he had smacked into Ike became instantly embarrassed at how oblivious he had been and quickly offered her a hand.

"Elincia, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Here, let me help you," he said, pulling her up when she took the hand he offered.

Brushing herself off she flashed Ike a warm smile. "It's quite alright, Ike. Are you okay? You look frustrated," she stated.

"I'm alright," he replied with a shrug, "just a little bored."

Elincia rolled her eyes and gave a hopeless sigh. "Lord Ike, you must relax now and then. You're not in this alone. You and Link have much in common, you know. Despite her highness Zelda's best efforts he was up and about after only four days of recuperating. The man still has mild fractures, but he refuses to just lie in bed and let them heal."

"Can't say I blame him," Ike pointed out.

"Come," Elincia said, taking Ike's hand, "if you are so bored then join me for a walk. I too have nothing to do at the moment, and I would greatly appreciate the company". Before Ike could protest Elincia had begun leading him towards the courtyard. Deciding that it would be futile to resist her once she had made up her mind Ike simply let her drag him along.

When they arrived at the courtyard Elincia slowed her pace, making her way to a bench that sat next to a tiny pond that was surrounded by small trees and flowers. Sitting down she patted the space next to her, indicating that she wanted Ike to join her. Ike did so, resting uncomfortably next to Elincia. Turning to him, she asked, "Isn't it beautiful out here? It reminds me much of Melior. It has been so hectic lately that I have not had the chance to just relax and enjoy the beauty of this land. Now that I have a few moments rest I intend to do just that. You should as well, sir Ike."

Ike relaxed a bit and leaned back on his hands, nodding absentmindedly. The two sat there in silence for a while, simply taking in the view of the garden. After a while, Elincia rested her hand on Ike's and once again turned to him. She noticed a light blush on the warrior's cheeks which caused her to smile. "Ike," she began, "it is going to be alright. I know you are restless, and I think I have a hunch about what occupies much of your thoughts, but if he truly is still alive then you will meet him eventually. When that happens, I have complete faith that you will come out on top, so relax. No one can handle everything on their own. If nothing else, then allow me to be there for you, okay?"

Ike nodded. Turning to her, he became slightly nervous at the realization of how close their faces were. The two instantly blushed, but neither turned away. After staying like that for a long while their faces began to slowly move towards each other. When they could feel each other's breath on their mouths something compelled Ike to open his eyes. Behind Elincia he saw a figure in a dark cloak go darting through the courtyard and into the stairway that led to the Queen's and many of the guest's rooms.

Ike pulled back from Elincia and leapt up. "My lord Ike…" she said, confusion etched on her face. However, when she saw the urgency in his face she quickly turned around to see what he was looking at. "What is it?" she asked anxiously.

"Elincia, stay here. Someone just took off towards Zelda's room, I'll be back!" he called out over his shoulder as he bolted off to follow the ominous figure. Elincia, being stubborn as she was, was not going to be left behind and took off after him.

Ike raced up the stairs. When he saw the tail of the figures cloak disappear around a corner he put on an extra burst of speed. He realized that the figure was indeed heading towards Zelda's room and he had to stop it. However, when he rounded the corner he realized it was too late, as Zelda's door was wide open and the one he was chasing was nowhere in sight.

He heard a small yell of surprise echo from Zelda's room and frantically made his way towards the door. However, before he got there a loud clang emitted from the room and then the sound of a small explosion. Just as he made it to the door the figure came flying out, colliding hard with the wall behind him. When Ike reached the doorway he realized that the figure was out cold. Looking into the room with surprise he saw Zelda standing there, sword in one hand and smoke billowing from the other. When she looked up at Ike, she smiled mischievously.

"Did I have you worried, sir Ike?" she asked, taking great joy in seeing the shocked look on his face.

"Um… y-yeah, a little bit. I take it you're alright," he stated, quite impressed with how easily she had dealt with the intruder.

"Yes, I'm fine. No need to worry. I'm quite capable of handling myself. The one lying there is who you should be checking on. I'm not so sure he's alright," she said, pointing her sword to the person on the ground.

At this time, Elincia came running up behind Ike, clearly flustered by the sounds she had heard. "Is everything alright? Are you okay Your Highness?" she asked Zelda.

"I'm fine, thank you Elincia. And please, stop referring to me as 'Your Highness'. We are both queens, it makes me uncomfortable to have you address me as a superior," Zelda responded.

"Sorry," Elincia simply said. Turning to Ike, she watched as he pulled the hood off the unconscious figure on the ground.

"It's a man… I think," Ike said as he took in the face of the person before him. It wasn't that the face had feminine features but the fact that it barely looked human which caused his confusion. Turning towards Zelda, he gave her a look that asked for an explanation.

Nodding, Zelda knelt down next to him. "It is indeed a beorc man. He has simply been twisted nearly beyond recognition." Upon further inspection a small frown grew over Zelda's face. "It is odd though, it doesn't seem as though his features were distorted through natural physical means," she said, trailing off at the end.

"What do you mean 'natural physical means'?" asked Ike.

"This isn't the man's natural form, nor were the scars on his faced caused physically, but rather magically. It seems that this man _chose _this appearance, or someone chose it for him," Zelda explained.

"Why would someone chose to look like this of their own free will?" asked Elincia, clearly confused by this statement.

"I don't know, but I suspect that we shall find out when awakens," Zelda said, standing up. Guards were now rushing up, having heard the commotion.

"Your Highness, are you alright?!" the one in the lead asked, panting.

"I am fine, you can relax now," she said sweetly.

"Forgive us, Your Highness, we arrived late. If lord Ike had not arrived then your life could have been in great peril," the same one said ashamedly.

Zelda, indignant from his response, glared at him. "I handled this situation myself, thank you very much! I'll have you know that I am _quite_ capable of taking care of myself," she said, visibly irritated. With a sigh, she looked back at the guards, who were now both on one knee, their gazes averted in obvious hope of avoiding the queen's own. With a sigh, Zelda said, "Well, it does not matter anyway, the situation has been dealt with. Take this man to the prison cells. Notify me when he awakens. I have a feeling it will not be for quite some time."

"Right away, Your Highness," the one said. They both rose and saluted smartly before each took one of the man's arms and drug him off between them.

Turning back to Elincia and Ike, both of whom could clearly see the irritation on Zelda's face, she said, "The nerve of them. As if I could not protect myself." With that she stormed into her room. Elincia and Ike both staying outside, not sure if it was okay to follow.

When she realized that they were both still standing outside her doorway Zelda turned and smiled sweetly at them. "Its okay, you can come in. I've blown off enough steam, I won't take it out on you," she said with a small chuckle.

Looking at each other before entering, they both made their way slowly into Zelda's room.

"Please, take a seat," she said, indicating a pair of comfortable looking chairs. "I was just about to send someone to find you anyway, Elincia. I am about to get in touch with Queen Micaiah of Daein, and I wished for you to be here when I talked to her. I have already discussed the situation with the other leaders of Tellius; however, I know very little of Daein's king and queen, as they have both been newly crowned. I was hoping you could enlighten me a bit as to what kind of people they are before I speak with them," she explained.

"Oh, well," Elincia began, slightly caught off guard, "they're both incredible people. King Sothe served under Ike during the Mad King's War, and the both of them fought along side us during the continental struggle with the Begnion Senate. From what I know of them, I feel that I can safely tell you that they are both extremely compassionate, fair, and capable people," she said.

"I see. Before I contact her could you give me a brief recount of the events during the war with the Begnion Empire? Although I have talked with Empress Sanaki since then, I still know very little of what happened," Zelda said, explaining her request.

"Of course," replied Elincia. "You see, after the Mad King's War, Daein was left without a leader. Being the victors, it naturally fell upon Crimea to control Daein. However, right after the war we did not possess the resources nor I the will to take on the ruling of another country. Therefore, we handed control of Daein over to Begnion, under the assumption that the Empire would be fair to the Daein people. However, this was not the case. When the people of Daein realized that things were not going to change so long as they were under Begnion control they revolted. King Sothe and Queen Micaiah themselves lead this revolt.

"Daein made an appeal to Crimea to aid them in this great endeavor. However, at the time, we were dealing with the civil war that loomed just over the horizon. Both our countries were consumed by war for the next year and a half; Daein with Begnion and Crimea warring with itself. When it ended, Daein had pronounced a young man by the name of Pelleas, who was believed to be Ashnard's son, king. In Crimea, we had succeeded in putting down the revolution that threatened to tear the country in two, in no small part thanks to Lord Ike and his mercenary group.

"At this time, we thought that peace might return to Tellius, but it seems that the Begnion Senate had different ideas. Word got out that the slaughter of the Heron clan and the destruction of the Serenes Forest was orchestrated by the Senate. They were feuding with the Empress at the time and had her assassinated. However, they needed a scapegoat, and the Heron clan proved ideal. When the Laguz kings heard of this, all but the leader of the Dragon Tribe, Deghinsea, united forces to march on Begnion.

"It was then that Begnion apparently sent an envoy to both Crimea and Daein asking for assistance. Crimea also received a request from the newly formed Laguz Alliance to side with them. Daein chose to side with Begnion, while I hired the Greil Mercenaries to aid the Laguz Alliance in hopes of being able to keep Crimea out of the war while still aiding the Laguz where I could. Shortly after I heard news of Empress Sanaki's disappearance. I sent many covert operations into Begnion in hopes of finding out what had happened to her when I heard that both the Begnion army and Laguz Alliance were getting ready to do battle on Crimean soil.

"Still adamant about Crimea's neutrality, I, along with a small group of my closest retainers, speed off towards the battleground. We arrived just in time and I attempted to convince both armies to do battle elsewhere. I thought I had succeeded, as both armies turned their backs and began to march off. However, Valtome, a Begnion Senator who's arrogance knows no bounds was with the Begnion army. He ordered those soldiers loyal to him to march on; to not only attack the Laguz but us as well. Had it not been for the Greil Mercenaries, once again, I would have surely fallen. However, we won the battle, and it was then that I realized Crimea could no longer stay neutral.

"Siding with the Laguz Alliance, we marched towards Begnion. The first resistance we met was the Daein army. We clashed; the Greil Mercenaries leading the charge. At this point, I believe it would be best if Ike continued the story, as he knows better what happened than anyone," Elincia said, finishing her part of the story.

Zelda nodded towards Ike, urging him to continue where Elincia had left off. "Oh, ummm," he began, scratching the back of his head. "Well, as Elincia said, my group cut through Daein's ranks fairly easily. When I reached the other side of the battlefield I ran into Sothe. Funny, really, we almost killed each other. It was hard to recognize one another in the heat of battle. Fortunately, he noticed me first. I brought my sword up to swing at him when I realized that he held his weapon at his side and made no attempt to defend himself. When I recognized him, I brought my weapon down as well. As crazy as it sounds, we began talking on the middle of the battlefield; people must have understood what was going on for everyone left us alone. It seemed that Micaiah, the figure-head of the Daein army, had lead the bulk of Daein's troops against the larger half of the Laguz Alliance in hopes of slowing their march on Begnion.

"At the time I couldn't get out of him why they were fighting on the side of Begnion in this insane war after all that the Empire had subjected them to. I finally convinced him to retreat. It took some doing, but he eventually acknowledged how hopeless their situation was and took the rest of his army to meet up with Micaiah.

"We continued our march on Begnion, meeting up with the half of the Laguz Alliance following Skrimir, King Caneghis' nephew, just after the border. Long story short, we were contacted by Empress Sanaki and she explained much of the situation to us. It seems that she, along with Duke Persis, had been held captive by the Begnion Senate. They were just recently rescued by Sigrun and Tanith, two leaders of the Holy Pegasus Knights. According to her, the Senate had gotten Daein to enter into a blood pact with them. A blood pact is…"

He was cut off by Zelda, who finished his sentence for him. "A pact made with another country, sealed with blood. Breaking of the pact often results in the destruction of the country that breaks it. They are usually very one-sided."

"Oh, um, exactly. That saves me some explanation," Ike said. "Well, if you know what that is, then you understand why Daein had sided with Begnion. Sanaki knew of a way to break the pact. Next time we ran into the Daein army I went to meet Micaiah and Sothe alone. After a ridiculously long discussion I got them to join with us in our march on Begnion. We convinced them that we had a way to end their blood pact without them having to fight us. Sanaki got in touch with General Zelgius and sent him hunting for Duke Lekain, the Senator who made the pact with Daein. It didn't take long before Zelgius was standing before us with the blood pact in his hands and assurance that Lekain was no more. With that out of the way, we met little opposition in our march on Begnion. Zelgius had taken those troops still loyal to him and left Begnion open, leaving little in the way of a full army for the Senators to protect themselves with. Despite this fact, the final battle of the war was still incredibly intense. Many died, but at the end of the day we succeeded in restoring Empress Sanaki to the throne. Pelleas stepped down from the throne in Daein, not able to face his people as ruler after what he had done. The people cared little anyway, however, and were quick to place Micaiah on the throne, who took Sothe as her king.

"That's really all there is. I mean, there is quite a bit left out, it is after all a summed up version of the story, but I think that's enough to serve your purposes. Is there anything else you want to know?" he asked.

"No, thank you both. That will suffice for now. I am going to contact them now. You can both stay, if you'd like," Zelda said.

"Of course. I would like the chance to speak once more with Lady Micaiah," said Elincia.

"Very well then. Let us get started, shall we?" With that, Zelda turned to the stone she had on the table behind her. Closing her eyes, she muttered something that sounded quite foreign to both Ike and Elincia. The stone began flashing brightly for several seconds. When Zelda once again opened her eyes, the stone was set to a steady, faint glow. The room was silent for several seconds. Just when Elincia and Ike began to wonder if Zelda had actually done anything a female voice was emitted from the stone.

"Her Highness Queen Zelda, I presume?" the voice said inquisitively.

"It is. And may I presume that I am speaking with Lady Micaiah, Queen of Daein?" Zelda asked politely in response.

"You are. Your messenger is on her way back to you now as we speak. She informed me that what you have to say is of the utmost urgency," Micaiah stated.

"Indeed. There have been attacks on two of Hyrule's six holy temples. I have reason to believe that, if we cannot stop them from destroying the remaining four, then the whole world could be in great peril," Zelda explained.

"Do you know who is behind the attacks?" asked Micaiah.

"We do… well, we have an idea. There are two of them, but I have a suspicion that someone is pulling the strings," she stated.

"Only two?" Micaiah asked. The doubt was evident in her voice. Zelda could not blame her. The way she had explained it she'd have called herself ridiculous. "Who are the two who have you so flustered that you sent envoys all over Begnion?"

"One of them is named Gannondorf. He is a man from the Gerudo dessert that borders Hyrule. His power is extraordinary; he is not to be taken lightly, even alone. The second man I believe you may have heard of. He goes by the title the 'Black Knight'. I believe he is from your country," Zelda said calmly, waiting for a response.

There was a moment of silence before Micaiah said anything. Zelda could tell that she had stunned the young woman. "Sir Knight? Are you sure?" Micaiah asked.

"Unless some other man is going around in his armor and wielding his sword, then yes, I am quite sure. From what I hear of him it would be quite the feat for someone to kill him and take his sword and armor from him," Zelda said.

"This is unsettling. The Black Knight helped us wrest control of Daein from the Begnion Empire. He is a hero here. It is hard for me to believe that he would do something such as this," Micaiah responded. Zelda could tell that she had shaken her.

"I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but he was identified by several people who had already crossed him on the battlefield. One man, a friend of mine, went against him and said that there is no mistaking that swordsmanship," Zelda said in a slightly apologetic tone.

"It can't be the Black Knight, then, if your friend is still alive. One does not cross swords with him and get away unless he wills it," Micaiah said confidently.

"Understand something, Micaiah," Zelda said politely, "this man who crossed swords with him is of no meager ability himself. His name is Link, and I believe he fought next to King Sothe during the Mad King's War."

"Link?!" a male voice said from the other end.

"That's right. I assume that was His Highness there?" Zelda asked.

"Yes, forgive me for interrupting. This is Sothe. If what you say is true, and it was Link who crossed blades with the Black Knight, then it makes sense that he got away alive. Other than Ike, Link is the only man I've ever met who could be considered the Knight's equal," Sothe stated, the admiration evident in his voice.

"Indeed. So I take it you believe me then? If you need more convincing, I have Queen Elincia and Lord Ike here with me. If you need them to do so, then I believe they will both vouch for me," Zelda said confidently.

"Indeed, it is as she says," Elincia said to the stone, backing Zelda up. "Master Link came back quite banged up after battling the both of them alone. I beg you to lend your support to Hyrule and Lady Zelda if the time should come."

"Lord Ike is backing up Her Highness as well?" Sothe asked anxiously.

"I am. Sothe, Micaiah, we could certainly use your support," Ike said, trying to add whatever weight he could to the conversation.

There was another long pause. Finally, Micaiah broke the silence. "Very well. Give us some time to discuss this. Under other circumstances, Daein would be quite willing to lend its support, but as it is now we have just gotten through fighting our second war in seven years, and we are still attempting to rebuild our country to its former state of prosperity. This decision can not be made lightly, as I'm sure you understand, Your Highness."

"I understand. Take what time you need, but I ask that you get back to me when you come to a decision. I will hold nothing against Daein should you decide not to aid Hyrule, but understand that if we can not stop them then Daein will be drug into this willingly or not. I fear this is not something that will only affect Hyrule should things take a turn for the worst," Zelda explained.

"We understand. We will not take what you have told us lightly. I thank you for contacting us and informing us of the danger. We will get in touch with you as soon as possible. For now, we bid you farewell, Your Highness. Queen Elincia, Ike, it was good to talk to you two again," Micaiah said. A few seconds later the stone took on its natural dull white hue, signaling the end of the conversation.

Turning to Ike and Elincia, Zelda smiled tiredly. "Well, I suppose that didn't go too bad. It was far less tiresome than my conversations with Tibarn and Naesala."

"That sounds about right," Ike agreed. "They're quite the stubborn pair, when they decide to be."

--

"So, you think we should send aid to Hyrule, don't you?" Micaiah asked.

"I do. If Ike is backing her up, then it must be as bad as she says," Sothe reasoned.

Micaiah rolled her eyes and sighed. "Sothe," she said, "don't get me wrong, I love you dearly, but are you sure that you married the right person?"

"Of course I am, Micaiah, why would you ask tha…" Sothe answered, cutting himself off when he realized what she was implying. "Hysterical," he said with a frown on his face.

Micaiah grinned and gave Sothe a hug, adding a loving kiss just for emphasis. "You know I'm only teasing. Come on, I'm tired and I need to think on this. Lets go to bed, okay?"

Upon receiving no objections from Sothe the two made their way to their bedroom.

--

"Are you sure it's safe to talk here?" Zelgius asked.

"Yes, quite sure. There is no way for him to overhear our conversation in this place. It is a holy place, and his power is not yet great enough that he can enter these walls," the other man explained.

"Very well. I believe it is time for us to acquire an army. They have discovered us, and as you know, even our combined power is not enough to tackle the last four temples. We need troops at our back," said Zelgius.

"Indeed. I shall discuss this with him and see what sort of support he can provide you with. Until then the two of you should lay low. I do no trust Gannondorf and neither should you, as I'm sure you've already figured out," the other warned.

"Yes, he's quite the interesting individual though. His power is impressive, and as I watched his battle with the Hero of Time I learned that his sword arm is nothing to scoff at," Zelgius said, the slightest hint of respect in his voice.

"Be that as it may, tread lightly. The success of our plans hang by but a thread, as they have from the beginning. We can allow no one to foil them before we see them come to fruition," said the other man.

"Yes, master. I will watch him, and we will lay low until we have acquired an army," said Zelgius.

"Very well. I shall be on my way then, if that is all. Be careful Zelgius," the man said. After Zelgius nodded his response there was a bright flash of light and the man before him was gone.

"Knight! Knight, where the hell are you?!" a voice called from outside.

Sighing, Zelgius donned his helmet and made his way out of the building. "I am here, Gannondorf. What is it you need?" he asked in irritation.

Gannondorf made his way up to him. "I grow tired of sitting around. I thought you said your master could provide us with an army."

"Patience, Gannondorf," Zelgius said, trying to assuage the man's temper. "It will not be long before we have an army at our backs, and then it is only a matter of time before the last four temples fall before us."

--

Link gave several loud raps on the wooden door before him but received no response. After repeating the process a few more times with equal success, he cautiously opened the door and made his way inside. The room before him left him quite stunned.

There was little in the way of furniture: a bed with an end table, a dresser, and a desk with a chair. What amazed Link was the number of armaments that rested against the walls. There were several swords, all of a different style, propped up next to the dresser, and on the other side rested a fierce looking halberd. On the desk sat a belt with a plethora of throwing blades in it, and next to the desk was a longbow with a quiver at its side. On the end table next to the bed there was a small dagger, which rested within easy arms reach should someone enter the room uninvited while the inhabitant was sleeping.

"Good lord, Link, she's as bad as you," said Navi comically.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" came an irritated voice from behind them.

Link turned around, scratching the back of his head with his left hand and holding his right out in front of him in a defensive manner. "Hey, Aria! We were, ummm, just looking for you. We knocked several times, but no one answered," he explained.

"Obviously; I'd have been quite worried if someone HAD answered, as I was clearly not here. Do you always just go barging into people's houses when they're not at home?" she asked, glaring at the two.

Navi, simply to throw fuel on the fire, chose this time to once again speak up, "Yeah, he does. Heck, even when they are home. He's got a bad habit of it."

Her comment earned her a swat from Link, who quickly turned his attention back to Aria. "The reason I'm here," he began, "is because I wanted to take you to see that friend I told you about. The one who might be able to help you find out about your family. If you're still interested, that is," he said with a hopeful look on his face.

Aria brightened up instantly. "Of course I'm still interested, lets get going, hero!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arm and leading him out of her house. As soon as they were out the door, however, Aria turned around and locked it. "Can't have someone else bustin into to my room," she explained.

"Speaking of which, isn't this just an inn you're staying at for the time being? Why all the weapons?" he asked curiously.

"I came to Hyrule for two reasons, Link. One was to challenge you and the other was the tournament. I figured, seeing as how I knew little of either, I would do well to come prepared. Besides, are you really one to talk? From what I hear you're a walking armory," she said indignantly.

Link grinned unashamedly at her. "Fair enough, you win," he said.

"Don't forget it," she warned playfully. "Come on, now, lets get going. How far is this 'friend' of yours?"

"Well, you're gonna need a horse. Otherwise we wont reach him till noon tomorrow," Link said, leading Aria to where he had left Epona.

"Not a problem, I'll go get him. Meet you at the front gate in five minutes," she said, darting off before Link could even say anything.

"She's sure excited," said Navi, who was standing on Link's shoulder. Link simply nodded in response.

True to her word, Aria came trotting up on an impressive looking black horse about five minutes after she had parted ways with Link and Navi.

"Ready to go?" Link asked. Aria gave Link a thumbs up and a grin, and with that, Link turned Epona around and darted off towards the Kokiri forest; Aria close on his heels.

When they reached the forest, both elves dismounted and left their steeds at the entrance. Link made his way through the portal when he realized Aria was not following him. He turned and gave her a questioning look.

"Hey, what's wrong. This is the place, lets go," he said, motioning her to follow him.

"Ummm, Link, this is the Kokiri forest. Are you sure we're allowed to enter? I've heard some pretty wicked rumors about this place," she said, her voice edged with uncertainty.

"That's right, I forgot I was the only person who uses this entrance to get to the Lost Woods when going to Termina. Don't worry about it though, I assure you that you will be fine. After all, this is where I grew up," Link said, once again turning to make his way into the forest.

"Grew up?" Aria asked, this time right on his heels. Despite his assurance that everything would be fine, she couldn't get herself to take her hand off her sword hilt.

"Yep," he replied. "It's a long story. See, I didn't know my parents either," he explained.

"Then why haven't you asked this guy to help you find them?" she asked.

"Not sure. I guess it never really bothered me. I grew up here and didn't know any different, so I never really wondered about them," he replied.

When they entered the village Link turned to see Aria's stunned face. "They really are all… children," she said, awe evident in her tone.

Link chuckled at this. "Yeah, those stories are true. Come on, lets go. They one we're looking for is at the other end of the village."

The two made there way through the village to find their path blocked once they reached the other side by a small, blonde-haired boy. Link sighed and gave him a bored look.

"Mido, we need to see the Great Deku Tree. Would you mind letting us pass?" asked Link.

Mido looked at the two for a while before responding. "Why did you bring another outsider with you?" he asked rudely.

"She needs to see him. I think he can help her with something," Link explained impatiently.

"Fine, I guess it's alright, but I'm only doing this because Saria likes you for some reason," he said, begrudgingly stepping out of their way.

Link patted his head as they walked by him. "Thanks, Mido," he said with a grin on his face. The Kokiri boy simply glared at him.

When the entered the clearing at the end of the small path Link pointed to the giant tree before them. "There he is. Lets go see if he can help you," he said.

"Wait, he lives in that tree?" asked Aria quizzically.

"No," Link said with a small laugh. "He _is _the tree."

Before Aria could respond the giant tree opened its mouth to address them, shocking Aria into silence.

"Ah, Link! It has been quite a while. What brings you here?" he asked.

"That it has," replied Link with a smile that threatened to overtake his face. "Great Deku Tree, this is a friend of mine, Aria Cerasin. She has a problem that I believe you could help her with."

"Hmmm, I see," said the tree in its slow, powerful voice. "Cerasin, right? If I am not mistaken, that is the last name of the ruling family of one of Ikana's tribes, correct?" he asked.

"Umm, yeah, yeah it is," Aria replied in an amazed voice, still having not quite recovered from the shock of being in the presence of a giant talking tree.

"That is odd. I do not recall the current rulers having had a daughter," the Deku Tree said, almost to himself.

"They, uh, they didn't. I'm adopted. That's why I'm here," she said timidly.

"I see. You are searching for your real family, is that it?" the Deku Tree asked.

"Yes. I remember next to nothing of them, just glimpses here in there. I wish to know who they were and what happened to them," she explained, slowly regaining her confidence.

"Very well. As Link said, I may be able to help you. Do you have anything from them?" he asked.

Aria stepped forward, not exactly sure how to present the locket to one without arms and seemingly with no eyes. "Yes, I have a locket with a picture of them. It's of my parents and what I assume to be my brother," she said, holding the locket in her hand.

The Great Deku Tree's branches swayed in what Aria guessed was a tree's equivalent to a nod. "Hold the locket up, child. I may not have arms, but I assure you that, despite my appearance, I can indeed see," he said.

Aria did as she was told, opening the locket and holding it up as high as she could, not sure that the Deku Tree would be able to make out the tiny photo from this distance. She stood that way for several minutes. When her arms started to go numb from holding them above her head for so long, the Deku Tree finally spoke.

"Well, this is interesting indeed," he said thoughtfully.

"Do you know who they are?" Aria asked, unable to hide the intense hope from her voice.

"I believe I do, child. Unless I am mistaken, and I don't believe I am, I have met your mother on one occasion. Sadly she passed away that same day. She is actually buried in this village," he said kindly.

"Oh," Aria replied, not sure how to take this news. "But you knew her, right? What brought her here?" she asked.

Link, who had been paying attention this whole time was now standing wide-eyed behind them, glued to the conversation.

"She was fleeing from the castle during the Hylian Civil War. She had suffered grievous injuries, and as she was riding it became apparent to her that she could not make it much farther. She had heard tales of this village, and as the forest was the closest place to her at the time, she decided to take her chances. As you can see, she was in luck, for it does indeed exist. When she addressed one of the children about who lead this village, they pointed her in my direction. She struggled her way to this clearing, and quite boldly stood before me; asking me to care for her son, who she had with her. I agreed to do so, seeing the condition she was in, and summoned one of the Kokiri, Saria, to take the infant into her care. When I promised your mother that I would do everything in my power to protect her child, she thanked me and collapsed on the spot. I did all I could for her, but her wounds were too great, she had lost too much blood," the Deku Tree said sadly. "The boy she left with me is alive today, Aria. He was the only Hylian to be raised in this forest," he explained.

There was a heavy silence that filled the air as Aria thought about what the Great Deku Tree had said. Finally, having sufficiently soaked the tale in she turned, wide eyed and slack jawed, to Link. "The only Hylian to be raised in the village…" she mumbled, trailing off.

"Mother…" he said softly.

Alright, sorry it took so long. i'll try not to let that happen again, but i make no promises. As I said, i had to change up the story-line to Radiant Dawn a bit so that it fit my story, so i used that rather lengthy conversation between Zelda, Elincia, and Ike to bring you up to speed on what i had changed. If you have any questions either be patient or feel free to send me a message if you have no faith that i will eventually answer them in the story. As always, please review. They make me happy and want to write more.


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own legend of Zelda or fire emblem, only the original characters and storyline are mine

Chapter 14

Naesala strode into the small room where the collective conference was being held. At the circular table in front of him sat the Hawk King Tibarn and the Heron Prince Reyson.

"Your late, Raven King," said Tibarn testily.

"Forgive me. I was with Leanne and the children when you called this conference. What, may I ask, was so urgent that you deemed this necessary?" he asked.

"Reyson wanted to discuss our conversation with the young Hylian Queen. He seems to think that the threat she spoke of poses more of a threat to us than we had initially thought," explained Tibarn.

"Hmmm, I see. Leanne has stated that she believes much the same. Are you proposing we take action, Hawk King?" Naesala asked warily.

"That's why we're here," Reyson said. "I believe that it would be a good idea to send at least a small regiment to aid them until the situation becomes more clear."

"Do you really think that's a good idea? Like just about the rest of Tellius, we just got out of a war. Our peoples are not going to be happy to find that we're once again sharpening our talons for battle," Naesala pointed out.

"We wouldn't be going to war, Naesala, just sending aid to Hyrule. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to have a country that powerful owe us at least a small favor," Reyson reasoned.

"I still believe that this isn't our problem and that we should wait till it is to take any sort of action," the Raven King said stubbornly.

"In the end, Naesala, this decision falls on my shoulders. I called you here to get your input and hopefully your support on the matter, but if I can't and I still decide that it's in our best interest to aid Hyrule then I'm going to do so anyway. You are, however, more than welcome to keep any of your tribe out of this mission if you truly want to," Tibarn said sternly. There was a serious scowl on his face. Dealing with Naesala, even after the bird tribes had entered into their unified contract, could still be a frustrating endeavor.

Naesala bowed his head and put his fingers to his forehead, closing his eyes as if in deep thought. Eventually he let out a large sigh then looked up at his heron and hawk counterparts. "Very well," he agreed, "I'll give my support. Just remember that I think this is a bad idea."

"I'll keep it in consideration," said Tibarn. "Now, who's regiment will we send over there?"

"I think we should send Janaff and Ulki's regiments. The Greil Mercenaries are currently in Hyrule, and those two have had previous dealings with them. It will probably make things go much smoother. Not to mention Janaff is fairly charismatic. It doesn't take long for him to grow on even the most stubborn Beorcs," Reyson said.

"Agreed. Although, keep in mind that since it's Hyrule we're dealing with it won't be just laguz and beorc. Most of Hyrule consists of elves if I'm not mistaken," said Tibarn.

"You're correct, Hawk King. If you've no objections, however, I have a trio that I would very much like to add to this little regiment we're sending over there," Naesala threw out.

"Very well. Who is it?" asked Tibarn.

"Only one of them actually belongs to my tribe, and loosely at that. They fought alongside us during the Mad King's War as well as the recent continental war we just experienced, although I'm not sure you would remember them: the young raven Vika, the tiger Maurim and the little beorc fire mage Tormod. I'd heard of their success in freeing Laguz slaves in Begnion during the Mad King's War and they did an excellent job of gathering information for young Sothe during this last war. Since then I've employed their services on numerous occasions and have not been let down. I think they would be of great use on this mission," Naesala explained.

"Hmmm, I remember them. They're a capable lot. Very well, contact them and see if you can't enlist 'em," Tibarn agreed.

"Wait a second. Maurim is not small by any means. Tormod wouldn't be hard to transport across the great sea, but how do you plan on getting Maurim over there?" asked Reyson.

Tibarn smiled. "I don't think that will be an issue. One of the hawks in Janaff's regiment is an extremely large fellow. His name is Aevar. He's a little thick-headed and kinda slow, but he'll be more than up to the task of caring a tiger on his back as long as Maurim stays in his beorc form."

Naesala nodded then turned towards the door. "Well then," he said as he strode off, "If that is all then I will take my leave. I'll contact Tormod and his group and have them here within the week. I trust you can handle the rest, just keep me updated, Tibarn."

"You got it. Thanks, Naesala, for not being a pain in the ass," he said with a grin on his face.

Naesala gave them a parting smile over his shoulder. "What can I say? I guess Leanne is slowly taking the fight out of me," he said humorously.

"Well don't let her soften you up too much. I don't want to reach the battlefield someday and find out you've become useless," Tibarn joked.

Naesala simply waved his hand at them without turning around and made his way out of the conference room. When he was in an open area he took to the skies and speed off in the direction Leanne and had been with their children.

When he got there he saw that Leanne was attempting to teach their youngest, a little heron girl they had named Sani, to fly. He slowed and watched from a distance for a while, a large smile plastered on his face, before he flew up and landed on a tree limb above them.

"So, how are the flying lessons going?" he asked.

"They're going alright," Leanne replied in the ancient language, "Sani's made quite a bit of progress since we started, haven't you Sani?"

They tiny heron girl looked up at her father and gave him a wide grin. Shutting her eyes tight and balling her hands into little fists in front of her she started flapping her wings vigorously in an attempt to fly. She made it about a foot before her wings gave way and she collapsed back onto the ground.

Naesala laughed warmly and flew down to his daughter, scooping her up into his arms and affectionately nuzzling her. He turned his attention back to Leanne. "Where's Cailte?" he asked. Cailte was their son, a raven boy less than a year older than Sani.

"Oh, he's flying around just south of here. Since he learned to fly he's been trying to hunt. You should go help him," Leanne suggested sweetly.

Naesala nodded. He gave Sani a kiss on the forehead and set her down then made to take off south before Leanne's hand rested on his shoulder. He turned to her and there was a serious expression on her face.

"Naesala, what happened during the meeting?" she asked.

Naesala hesitated, debating over what to tell her before he realized trying to hide something from a heron was a pointless endeavor. He sighed then explained, "We're sending a small regiment led by Ulki and Janaff to aid Hyrule. After I go see Cailte for a bit I'm going to have to go off and make arrangements to contact Tormod and his group. I'm going to try and send them with the regiment to be an extra set of eyes and ears for us. They've become quite capable at information gathering."

Leanne nodded understandingly, not saying anything. She smiled at Naesala then pulled him into a deep kiss before releasing him and sending him on his way with a flirtatious wink.

-- --

Link absentmindedly swung his sword in smooth, easy blurs around his body. He had been training relentlessly for hours but the entire time his mind was centered elsewhere. He had sent Navi off on her own so that he might be alone with his thoughts for a while; he kept replaying the previous day's events in his mind.

_"The two elves rode back to Hyrule Castle in silence, Link in the lead. Finally, having had enough, Aria gave her mare a light kick to the sides and pulled up next to Link. She gave him a small smile, but when his dazed expression didn't change she rolled her eyes and sighed. Leaning over her horse she gave him a hard punch to the shoulder._

_ 'Are you going to act like this the entire way back? I'm getting tired of you sulking. Does it really suck so bad to have a sister?' she asked jokingly, attempting to add a sense of levity to the situation._

_ Link immediately looked mortified at her conclusion. He raised his hands in defense and quickly babbled out what he hoped were reassurances. 'No, that's not it at all! It's just… I've never really had a family. Not even much of an adopted one. It's just a bit of a shock, that's all. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I have a sister. You have to understand, the possibility had never occurred to me, I'm really not quite sure how to act.'_

_ Aria smiled brightly at him. 'It's okay. I'm stunned myself. I've never had siblings, and although I do have an adopted family, I never really knew my parents. So, why don't we get used to this idea together? What do you say, little brother?'_

_ Link couldn't help but beam at this. 'Right, together,' he said."_

"Unbelievable," he mumbled. A low chuckle escaped his mouth as he continued his drill.

"I'll say," came a voice from behind him.

Link whirled around and saw Zelda standing there, garbed in the outfit she had often used as her disguise as Sheik, minus the mask. Her hair fell down her back, tied into a tight braid. In her right hand was a slim scimitar with a long, subtly curved blade, a glittering, silver hand-guard that was just big enough to serve its purpose, a black handle and a hilt shaped something like a fish's tail. In the silver hilt rested a glowing blue sapphire. In Zelda's left hand she held a double-edged short sword. Both edges curved lightly and met in a deadly-looking point, and a silver hand-guard of roughly the same efficiency of that of her scimitar was connected to a shiny green handle with a rounded silver hilt and a red ruby pommel stone at the end.

"How long have you been standing there?" Link asked.

"Long enough; you're slipping, Hero. Is being a family man already starting to dull your senses?" Zelda joked playfully. She took a few steps forward, casually testing her short sword's balance.

"So you've heard. Although, with the company you keep that shouldn't surprise me," he said with a smirk. "So, is that why you're here?"

"Just checking up on you," Zelda replied. "Besides, I figured you could use a sparring partner."

Link's eyes widened at this. "I can't spar with you, you're the queen! If I….. finish my sentence I'll be in trouble," he concluded upon realizing what he was about to do. Zelda had adopted a look that left little to the imagination concerning his fate should he finish his original thought.

When she concluded that Link had, indeed, caught his mistake Zelda allowed a mischievous smile to overtake her features. "Worried that I might actually give you a run for your money?" she instigated.

Link gave a resigned sigh and rolled his eyes, bringing his sword out in front of him. Leaving his shield at his side, he said, "Let me say right now that this is hardly a fair fight. Even if I am the better swordsman, you've got a ridiculous amount of magical tricks to fall back on."

Zelda flipped her scimitar up into a ready position and rolled her eyes. "Quit your whining," she said, and with that the duel began.

Zelda leapt forward with such speed and swung with such force that she caught Link off guard; instantly putting him on the defensive. As if to prove her earlier point, she pressed the attack with a quick succession of blows which varied greatly in power, placement and speed. Link was so surprised by Zelda's strength and skill with a blade that he neglected to pay attention to his surroundings and quickly found himself pinned between two trees with a wall at his back.

Link franticly fended off Zelda's relentless attacks while looking for a way to gain the upper hand. When he realized that he had very few options he decided to take a gamble.

Jumping over one of Zelda's low swings with her scimitar and deflecting her short sword with his blade while still in the air, he kicked off the wall behind him and did an acrobatic flip over Zelda's head.

Unfortunately, to Link's dismay, his daring escape attempt had little effect on Zelda. Before he could even right himself and get his feet on the ground she sent a small ball of fire hurtling at him.

While still upside-down in the air, Link intercepted the magical attack with his shield; not realizing until it was too late the mistake he had made. The ball of fire exploded on his Hylian shield, causing it to instantly glow red-hot. When he hit the ground he quickly discarded it and held his hand-and-a-half out in front of him with both hands.

Zelda gave Link a smug smirk, clearly pleased with the success of her attacks. Confident that she had made her point, Zelda took a few steps towards Link, saying, "So, would you like to start this little sparring session anew? Maybe you could put forth a little effort this time, in light of the beating I just gave you."

Link grinned stupidly back at her and relaxed a bit. "Very well," he said. "You've made your point. Let's try this again, and this time I'll show you why beating me has seemed to be such a difficult task for my opponents."

Zelda gave an appreciative, bell-like laugh that unnerved Link a bit- he was having a hard enough time viewing Zelda as just another opponent as it was, without her working her charms on him. "That it has," she responded, still laughing. "Your luck seems to defy all sense of probability. But since you now seem to have the nerve to fight me, Link, have at you," she said, leaping forward with the same speed and ferocity as the first time.

This time Link was ready, and he quickly deflected each of her swords with two deft flicks of his wrist. Quickly bringing his sword around again Link decided to press the attack, swinging his blade in an upward motion towards Zelda's torso. To his continuous amazement Zelda easily dodged his attack, rolling with his sword at the last possible moment in an effortless looking pirouette.

As she concluded her elegant spin she brought her scimitar around in an attempt at landing a blow on Link's waist. Link blocked her attack and she quickly followed through with an uncomfortable and impractical looking stab from her short sword that left her arms crossed in front of her.

Thinking he had finally found his opening Link twisted his torso to avoid Zelda's blade and brought his sword in a powerful upward swipe underneath her left arm. Once again, and to Link's mild consternation, Zelda blocked his attack with seeming ease. After bringing her scimitar around in a fluent but awkward looking parry she again spun gracefully in place, this time disappearing from sight and causing Link's follow-up attack to connect with nothing but air.

Link spun around and franticly started looking this way and that, trying to find out where Zelda had gone. After unsuccessfully searching for her for a few seconds Link let his arms drop to his sides and took a very relaxed stance. Closing his eyes he listened and focused on the world around him. When he could still find no sign of Zelda's presence he tapped into the Triforce of Courage to aid in his search; doing so not a moment too soon.

Stepping to his left, Link spun around and brought his sword up above his head, stopping Zelda's scimitar just in time. Without even landing on the ground Zelda pushed off of Link's blade with her own and flipped backwards, landing a good ten feet from Link in a battle-ready stance.

"I'm impressed, Link, you've really learned how to utilize your Triforce piece. I have to admit, I wasn't quite expecting you to figure out where I was; not in time, at least," she said. Despite their fierce battle Zelda seemed perfectly relaxed, and what's more, not a strand of her golden-bronze hair had fallen out of place; which Link thought was quite possibly more impressive than her fighting ability.

"You know, Princess, you're not the only one who knows how to use her Triforce piece. I may not be as proficient at it as you and Ganondorf, but I've learned a trick or two," he said with a confidant grin. "Now, if you're done stalling, why don't we get back to our little duel?" he added. Link was actually starting to enjoy sparring the queen.

Zelda smiled and made to leap at Link again. However, before she had the chance he was already bringing his blade in a high swing across her chest. Zelda blocked his attack with both of her blades. The impact jarred her hands and made her arms instantly feel like jelly. _There we go, so this is what it's like to fight him when he's putting forth some effort. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of an attack like that when he's serious, _she thought. Flipping her hand around, Zelda pulled her short sword away from Link's blade and thrust it at his stomach.

However, instead of pulling his sword back like she had expected, Link removed his right hand from his sword and caught Zelda's fist, her sword point less than an inch from his stomach. Link grinned and winked at her before twisting the both of them into such an awkward position that Zelda was forced to drop her short sword.

"That was a dirty trick," Zelda said with mock indignation.

"Hey, you fried my shield earlier, it's only fair," Link replied.

The two continued their duel, their blades performing a dangerous dance around them. Eventually, both Zelda and Link began to show signs of fatigue. Despite this, neither let up. Each was frantically looking for an opening in hopes to end their duel with a victory and not having to accept a stalemate. That would be unacceptable to two who were as competitive as they were.

Just as he was about to give up the hope of not having to accept a draw, Link saw a potential opening. For the sake of ending their contest, he took a risk and seized it. As Zelda attempted to bring her sword across Link's torso he leaned in. Her arm ran into his back, and he was too close to actually get his sword into any sort of attack position; but in one fluid motion he kicked one of her feet out from under her. He quickly swept her other foot off the ground with the flat of his sword, taking great care not to hurt her.

Zelda fell fast, but before Link had the time to even adopt a victory grin she grabbed him by the neck of his tunic and brought him down with her. Surprised, Link dropped his sword instantly so as not to accidentally injure her. The two hit the ground with a solid thud, Link on top. He quickly pinned both of Zelda's arms to the ground and, when he felt sure that he had won, gave the queen a confidant grin.

"Well, princess, it would seem that I have you pinned. I believe that makes me the winner of our little match," he said, quite sure of himself.

"Oh really?" Zelda asked, one of thin, pointed eyebrows set in a questioning slant. Link simply nodded once, the stupid grin still on his face. They sat like that for a while, cautiously studying each other. Finally, when Link decided that he had indeed won and that Zelda had no more tricks up her sleeve he loosened his grip on her wrists.

This proved to be a mistake, however, for as soon as he did Zelda smirked victoriously and, mustering her strength, flipped him onto his back, pinning him the same way he had her.

"You let your guard down, Link. It seems that now I'M the victor," she bragged.

Link looked at her with an expression of artificial indignation. "That's hardly fair! What was I supposed to do, sit on you until you fell asleep?!" he asked.

"You never know what your opponent has up their sleeve, you should know this by now. You have to be ready for anything, Link," she lectured.

Link rolled his eyes, then half-heartedly attempted to lift Zelda off of him. When he failed, he crashed back down to the ground and sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Fine, you win," he muttered.

Zelda contorted her face into a look of confusion. "What was that? I don't think I heard you. Could you repeat that?" she inquired playfully.

"I said you win, okay," he said exasperatedly.

Zelda laughed triumphantly, then leaned in even closer. "That's right, Link, and don't you forget it. You will forever remember today as the day that Queen Zelda Harkinian, wielder of the Triforce of Courage, bested the great Hero of Time! However, if you ever want a rematch, you can always… ask for… one," she said, trailing off at the end.

The two elves were now less than inches from each other's faces, and had just now become aware of their proximity. An awkward silence fell over the them as they both sat there in that position, neither daring to move for fear of how the other might react.

As if a magnetic field were controlling her, Zelda slowly lowered her head. The two could now feel each other's warm breath on their faces, breaking the spell that seemed to hold them in place.

Link broke free of Zelda's now light grip on his hands and pulled her the rest of the way towards him, locking their lips together in a passionate kiss. Zelda slipped her hands under Link's neck, attempting to get rid of the already non-existent space between their bodies. They melted into each other, their lips fighting a battle for supremacy that greatly differed from the battle of blades they had just fought.

They were so lost in one another that they failed to notice the presence of someone else in the courtyard.

"Ahem," a stern voice coughed, startling the two out of their passionate session. They quickly broke free of each other's embrace and jumped to their feet, Zelda making a ridiculous attempt to straiten her skin tight clothing and Link staring at his feet as if he had just discovered something incredibly interesting on them.

Finally looking up at the person who had interrupted them, Zelda's eyes widened. "Impa!" she called out in an uncharacteristically high-pitched voice. Link's head snapped up at this, his facial expression mirroring Zelda's. Although he'd never admit it, he was slightly scared of Zelda's attendant.

"Your Highness, Link," Impa acknowledged, inclining her head in a respectful nod. "Forgive my interruption, but a regiment sent by the bird tribes of Tellius has just arrived. I believe they seek an audience with you, Your Majest," Impa explained, all the while an imperceptible smirk hinted at the corner of her mouth.

"Yes, of course," Zelda said, still slightly flustered. She went and gathered her blades then turned and made her way towards the great hall. She was at the door before Impa stopped her.

"Your Majesty, this is just a suggestion, but don't you think it might be a good idea to change into something a little more… acceptable for a queen who is about to grant an audience to a foreign envoy?" she suggested calmly.

"Yes, you're right. I'll go change. Please tell them that I will be with them shortly," she said as she turned and made her way to her quarters to change.

When she vanished behind the doorway Impa turned to Link with a stern look. The young man could feel a bead of sweat start to build up on his forehead. Then, so subtly that Link wasn't even sure he'd seen it, the corners of Impa's mouth turned up ever so slightly in a humorous smile.

"I was wondering when that would happen," she said she turned and made her way to the great hall.

"Wait, when what would happen?" Link asked, still too stunned at the lack of punishment to figure anything out on his own. However, he received no answer, for Impa had already made her way through the doorway and out of sight.

Link stood there a moment longer in stunned silence before a goofy grin broke out over his face and he shook his head. He collected his sword and shield, stowing them on his back as he always did and made his way towards the great hall as well. When he reached the doorway he turned back around and stared at the courtyard behind him. He chuckled and shook his head in disbelief at all that had transpired. "Unbelievable," he murmured. Turning again, he followed Impa to the great hall.

--

AN: Once again, i'm sorry it's taking so long. i promise you that i will not drop any of my stories, i'm just a little busy right now. and, for those of you who were wondering how the bird tribe made it to hyrule so fast, the conversation amongst the leaders of the bird tribe was had at an earlier time. sorry i didn't clarify, but i kept it all in there for the sake of real world time constraints. anyway, i hope you all enjoyed that, and i would love to hear what you think. please review.


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